About this artwork
This Zeeuwse quarter silver ducat was struck by the Province of Zeeland in 1791. The coin presents a circular composition, its form and metallic texture immediately suggesting value and authority. The design is dominated by the figure of a standing man, positioned beside a complex heraldic shield. Above the shield is an intricate design of a seated lion with arrows. The outer inscription creates a semiotic boundary, framing the central images and reinforcing the coin's function within a structured economic and political system. Notice how the symbols of power and identity are rendered. The design on the coin presents questions about representation and value, questioning how a small object can embody larger socio-political meanings. This ducat engages with the structuralist idea that objects often function as signs within a broader cultural language.
Artwork details
- Medium
- print, metal, photography, engraving
- Dimensions
- diameter 2.2 cm, weight 3.55 gr
- Copyright
- Rijks Museum: Open Domain
Tags
portrait
dutch-golden-age
metal
photography
engraving
miniature
Comments
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About this artwork
This Zeeuwse quarter silver ducat was struck by the Province of Zeeland in 1791. The coin presents a circular composition, its form and metallic texture immediately suggesting value and authority. The design is dominated by the figure of a standing man, positioned beside a complex heraldic shield. Above the shield is an intricate design of a seated lion with arrows. The outer inscription creates a semiotic boundary, framing the central images and reinforcing the coin's function within a structured economic and political system. Notice how the symbols of power and identity are rendered. The design on the coin presents questions about representation and value, questioning how a small object can embody larger socio-political meanings. This ducat engages with the structuralist idea that objects often function as signs within a broader cultural language.
Comments
No comments