Luxemburgse ridderorde (Ordre du Merite Civil et Militaire d'Adolphe de Nassau), ontvangen door Willem Drees before 1956

This is the Civil and Military Order of Adolph of Nassau, likely made of precious metals and enamel, and awarded to Willem Drees. Consider the means of production involved in creating this honor. The precise metalwork, enameling, and ribbon-making would have been highly specialized. Guilds or workshops, with divisions of labor, and workers with years of training, would have been involved in the production process. Awards like these are not unique objects, but exist within a hierarchy. They signify status and power, reflecting a system of social stratification. The inherent value of the materials, combined with the skilled labor involved in its creation, elevate it beyond mere decoration. The medal embodies political ideologies of class, social status, and value that reflect the power structures of its time. Recognizing the artistry, labor, and systems that underpin this object encourages us to look past its obvious function, and consider its deeper cultural significance, and understand the value systems embedded within it.