Schippersgilde, gildepenning van Jan Theunissz van den Berg 1695

Curator: Look at the texture, the weight – there’s a sense of the handmade here, even with an engraved coin. Editor: Absolutely. What catches my eye is the straightforward depiction of labor and community, reminding us of the networks that sustained trade in the 17th century. It’s a peek into a very specific socioeconomic structure. Curator: This is “Schippersgilde, gildepenning van Jan Theunissz van den Berg” from 1695. It's crafted from metal using engraving techniques. It likely served as a badge or membership token for a shipbuilder’s or shipping guild. Editor: I love the contrast of the delicate linework with the sturdy medium of metal. The slightly naive representation of the ship gives the object an appealing, almost folksy quality. Curator: Precisely. Guilds provided crucial social and economic frameworks. Think of how these maritime trades shaped Dutch identity, especially concerning issues of class, gender, and even colonial expansion. Editor: Right, this simple object speaks volumes about the material conditions of the period. How the sea was both a resource and a workplace, shaping social dynamics in very real ways. This piece acts as evidence of that world. You see how the guild not only defined profession, but provided economic stability and identity. Curator: This brings attention to how collective identity gets forged through craft and commerce. Van den Berg’s guild membership offered protection, access to materials, regulated competition. And it enforced the gender and class hierarchies embedded in society at the time. Editor: These physical objects are valuable points of entry. Analyzing materials and processes offers us a clearer picture of societal structure and class dynamics, dismantling the common trope of the artist genius by emphasizing that craft is labor. Curator: Ultimately, by understanding the guild's role we gain deeper insights into maritime culture, labor rights, and economic interdependence in early modern Netherlands. Editor: Exactly. This little metal disc becomes a portal into the labor and lives of the past, urging us to see the material reality behind historical events. Curator: It is a valuable lens for contextualizing these craft objects. Editor: Precisely, a reminder that art, like any crafted piece, doesn't exist in a vacuum.