N.M. de Ligt, gedeputeerd meester van de vrijmetselaarsloge "De Drie Kolommen" te Rotterdam 1853

This 1853 bronze medal commemorates N.M. de Ligt, a Freemason and “gedeputeerd meester” of the “De Drie Kolommen” lodge in Rotterdam. The front displays a skull, crossed bones, and a quill pen, a memento mori symbol representing mortality and the passage of time, and perhaps also the importance of knowledge. The back inscription identifies the lodge and the year. This small, intimate object provides a glimpse into the rituals and symbolism of Freemasonry in 19th-century Netherlands.