Shield with Helms and Crests [reverse] 1535

This small, circular, un-dated medal was made by Hans Reinhart the Elder. It’s a world of heraldry packed into a silver disc less than three inches across. In sixteenth-century Europe, heraldry—or the design and display of coats of arms—was serious business. More than mere decoration, heraldry visually communicated lineage, status, and allegiance in a rigidly hierarchical society. The intricate layering of shields, helms, and crests on this medal reflects the complex, and often contested, claims to power and prestige. The rigid structures and inherited nature of heraldry are challenged by the potential for reinvention. Artists like Reinhart, through their craft, had the power to shape and solidify identity. This medal serves not only as a marker of personal identity, but also as a reflection on the artistic, social, and political forces at play during the Renaissance.