Groot binnen- en -buitenlandsvaardersgilde van Amsterdam, gildepenning van Arij van der Werken van Ramsdonk 1752

Here we see a guild badge of Arij van der Werken van Ramsdonk, a member of the Amsterdam guild for inland and foreign sailors. This diminutive object presents two distinct faces, each offering a tableau for analysis. On one side, the incised image of a vessel, rendered with minimalist strokes, floats above stylized waves. The lines, though simple, evoke the vessel's form, suggesting a dynamic interplay between the static medium and the fluidity of the sea. Flipping the coin, calligraphic inscriptions curve around the perimeter, framing the name and guild affiliation of its owner. The script, precise yet organic, speaks to the formalized identity conferred by guild membership. The coin is a symbolic marker, a semiotic device that signified belonging and status within a specific social structure. It challenges fixed notions of maritime identity and engages with new ways of thinking about profession. This object, with its formal division and inscribed meanings, functions not merely as a badge but as a microcosm of the cultural and philosophical undercurrents of its time.