Schuttersgezelschap van Amsterdam 1771

This silver medal, likely crafted in Amsterdam around 1576 by an artist known only as Monogrammist B, commemorates the civic guard. Its making involved skills that are not often regarded as "high art," but were central to urban life. Consider how the medal was made. First, the silver would be melted and cast into a blank. Then, using specialized tools like punches and dies, the intricate designs would be hammered in, a technique called striking. This required precision and expertise, but the labor involved would have been considered craft, not fine art. The imagery, with its civic and military allusions, speaks to the medal's function as a commemorative object. The weight of the silver itself speaks to the owner's status and to the importance of the occasion. But to fully appreciate it, we need to look beyond traditional art history, and consider the world of workshops and trades that brought such objects into being.