Tweeentwintigste kapittel van de Orde van het Gulden Vlies te Antwerpen, ter ere van Filips II, koning van Spanje, souverein van de orde 1556

Editor: This metal relief sculpture is titled "Tweeentwintigste kapittel van de Orde van het Gulden Vlies te Antwerpen, ter ere van Filips II, koning van Spanje, souverein van de orde," made by an anonymous artist in 1556. It feels… surprisingly intricate for a small, functional object like this. What’s your take on this piece? Curator: I see a carefully crafted object that speaks volumes about power, identity, and the complex social hierarchies of 16th-century Europe. We're not just looking at a commemorative object; we are looking at the very performance of sovereignty. Consider Philip II of Spain, whose image is strategically deployed. The Golden Fleece isn’t merely decorative. Editor: So it’s all about image management? Curator: Exactly. The Order of the Golden Fleece represented an exclusive network of power. Displaying this image was carefully constructed to communicate not just power, but a certain divine right. Note the specific ways that it reflects cultural norms of masculine power through dress, gesture, and the surrounding symbols of authority. Editor: That's fascinating. I hadn’t really considered how performative these objects could be. How might this object have been perceived then versus how we perceive it now? Curator: In its time, this was probably read by some as an exercise of sovereign power but the very circulation of it might have triggered skepticism as well as awe in equal measure. Editor: Thank you so much, that contextual background is really helpful to understanding the layers of meaning here. Curator: My pleasure, I hope the next time you see a portrait like this you’ll read all of those underlying contexts and claims to authority.