Aankomst van Maria Theresia in Parijs, rekenpenning geslagen ter ere van Lodewijk XIV, koning van Frankrijk 1660

This is a bronze medal, struck to commemorate Maria Theresa's arrival in Paris and honour Louis XIV. The process of striking a medal like this involved skilled craftsmanship. First, the designs would have been engraved into dies made of hardened steel. These dies were then used to impress the images onto blank metal discs through hammering or a screw press. The material itself, bronze, was chosen for its durability and capacity to capture fine details, lending a sense of permanence and importance to the event. The act of creating and distributing such medals was itself a political statement. It was a way to disseminate images of power and celebration, reinforcing the monarchy’s legitimacy and grandeur. The medal served as a portable piece of propaganda, accessible to a wider audience. The amount of work involved in the medal's production reflects not only the skilled labor of the engravers and metalworkers, but also the investment in projecting royal power. These medals straddle the line between art and craft, underlining their importance to understanding the cultural and social values of the time.