Broekenmakersgilde van Antwerpen, gildepenning van Peeter van Woestynen 1563

Curator: What catches my eye is the melancholic aura surrounding it; something about its delicate execution and aging evokes a feeling of bygone times. Editor: Indeed. We are observing a guild badge dating back to 1563, crafted for the Antwerp tailors’ guild by Peeter van Woestynen. Curator: The craftsmanship feels intensely personal. How it must have felt holding it for the first time! You can tell how metal can become art when labor shapes material, right? Editor: Absolutely! Notice the central figures on each side of the coin. One side displays Justitia standing firm above a broken wheel, while the opposite presents a table, signifying the tailor's workbench. The piece underscores labor organization as it was understood at the time. Curator: Justice and craftsmanship! What a blend! It seems charged with symbolism; the broken wheel, especially, adds layers. Editor: That is where it becomes poignant! Symbolism connects with the cultural landscape as it represented the fate, so there's an intersection between legal authority, guild association, and perhaps an invocation against misfortune? Curator: Considering Antwerp's place as a textile center at that time, what value this guild possessed! Imagine a medieval artist-craftsperson toiling away in their studio! Editor: This metal guild badge brings insights into the complex systems of labor, association, and belief held within that Renaissance tailors' world. It’s quite marvelous. Curator: Metal worked and aged throughout years acquires a story, similar to tales stitched in cloths... And I was initially captured by its mournful atmosphere! What we unearthed is really wonderful.