Boekverkopers- en -drukkersgilde van Amsterdam, gildepenning van David Volkner 1685

Editor: This is a guild badge, "Boekverkopers- en -drukkersgilde van Amsterdam, gildepenning van David Volkner," made of metal relief in 1685. It looks like it's a symbolic representation of the Amsterdam book sellers and printers guild. How do you read the imagery in this piece? Curator: The symbols here speak volumes about the values and aspirations of the guild. Hermes, or Mercury, stands at the center—messenger of the gods, associated with commerce, eloquence, and knowledge. Notice the printing press to his left and the books on the table to his right. These are not mere decorations; they are emblems of the guild's very identity, its contribution to society. What feelings does Mercury evoke? Editor: I guess his presence is about literacy and trade, kind of alluding to how information and commerce intersect. He looks rather proud. Curator: Precisely. Pride in craft, dissemination of knowledge – powerful cultural messages for the time. The relief is miniature, forcing the viewer to look closer. Each detail has symbolic meaning. Why put so much importance in symbols, even today? Editor: I guess symbols have the power to quickly communicate complex ideas and feelings. By representing themselves through Mercury and these tools, the guild made a bold statement about their role in society. It's like they're creating their own mythology. Curator: Indeed. They are creating their own narrative. Through repeated visual cues across time, certain emblems build emotional resonance. What new associations can we now attribute to books and trade? Editor: I now look at it as this time capsule, holding all the values that this guild believed were important, and now we get to explore that! Curator: It’s about how visual imagery persists, embedding shared cultural knowledge across generations, offering narratives for future viewers.