Kroning van Maria Theresia tot koningin van Bohemen te Praag 1743

This silver medal depicting the Coronation of Maria Theresa in Prague was created by Nicolaas van Swinderen. Its circular form, measuring a mere 4.5cm, belies the extensive processes involved in its making. Consider the labour necessary to mine, refine, and cast the silver into a planchet. The medal was likely struck using dies, a process requiring skilled artisans to engrave the intricate designs in reverse onto hardened steel. This speaks to a highly developed material culture, one dependent on specialized expertise, and with a complex relationship to labor and class. The medal’s cool metallic tone contrasts with the warm subject depicted; a queen’s coronation. Its small scale invites intimate interaction, in contrast to the grand event it depicts. By considering the medal's material qualities and methods of production, we gain insight into the social and cultural values that were invested in this object. It asks us to question distinctions between art, craft, and historical document, emphasizing the importance of process in understanding its full meaning.