Korenlichtermansgilde van Amsterdam, gildepenning van Evert de Milde, tevens lid van het korendragers- en -stortersgilde 1749 - 1751

This is a silver guild badge made in Amsterdam in 1752 by an anonymous artist. It depicts a man carrying a basket of grain, surrounded by an inscription indicating his membership in the grain carriers' guild. Guilds were powerful institutions in the Dutch Republic, regulating trades and crafts, and this badge represents a worker's affiliation with such a group. Amsterdam was a major trading hub, and the grain trade was essential to its economy. The badge is not just a symbol of membership; it's a statement about the social and economic structures of the time. It shows us how labor was organized and valued in Dutch society. To understand this piece, we need to research the history of guilds, the grain trade in Amsterdam, and the lives of the workers who belonged to these organizations. Economic, social, and institutional histories are vital to understanding this piece. The meaning of this badge is contingent on its social context.