Overwinningen op de Turken en de reorganisatie van de militaire academie te Brussel, ter ere van Karel VI, Duits keizer 1716

This bronze medal, commemorating Charles VI's victories over the Turks and the reorganization of the military academy in Brussels, was created by Philippe Roëttiers. Medals like this are fascinating objects. They're not exactly fine art, not exactly craft, but somewhere in between. The basic process involves carving a design in hard material like steel, then using that as a die to strike softer metals. The inherent qualities of bronze – its capacity to capture fine detail, its satisfying weight, its golden hue – contribute significantly to the medal's visual appeal and symbolic value. Think about the labor involved. Beyond the artistry of Roëttiers, there’s the mining and refining of the metal, the skilled work of die-cutting, and the physical exertion of striking the medals. It's a small object, yet its making touches on global systems of extraction, production, and political power. Ultimately, this medal invites us to consider the complex relationship between materials, making, and meaning, urging us to look beyond traditional categories.