Briefkaart aan Philip Zilcken Possibly 1896

This is the back of an Italian postcard, likely created around the late 19th century, bearing postal markings and a printed emblem. At its center, a crowned shield with a cross evokes centuries of heraldic tradition. Such symbols, laden with historical and cultural significance, resurface across epochs. Consider the cross: from its religious origins to its deployment in national flags and emblems, its symbolic power endures. This emblem on the postcard is reminiscent of similar imagery found in medieval heraldry, where coats of arms were visual assertions of power, lineage, and identity. This image is a potent symbol, passed down through history and adapted to new contexts. The act of sending a postcard becomes a ritual imbued with personal and cultural meaning. The selection of images, the written message, and even the postal markings contribute to the narrative carried across distances. Just as the symbols we create are imbued with meaning, so too is the medium of transmission.