Roemer with a Portrait of Prince Maurice c. 1618 - 1625

This Roemer glass, now in the Rijksmuseum, features a portrait of Prince Maurice etched onto its delicate surface. The glass, a symbol of festivity and communal drinking, is here elevated to a political object, bearing the likeness of a powerful leader. Consider the symbolism of the portrait itself. The tradition of immortalizing rulers through images extends back to antiquity; think of Roman emperors stamped on coins, each an assertion of power and permanence. The image of Prince Maurice mirrors this, yet here it is on a drinking vessel, an object of daily life. This juxtaposition brings the Prince closer to the people, while still imbuing him with an aura of reverence. The act of raising a glass becomes a gesture laden with political meaning. The glass connects past and present, public and private, reminding us that symbols are never static, always shifting, always alive.