Penningen ter gelegenheid van tentoonstellingen te Java 1875 - 1877

Isaac Weissenbruch created this design for "Penningen ter gelegenheid van tentoonstellingen te Java" using pen and gray ink. The composition of the three circular medallions, arranged to suggest a clover, immediately draws our attention, a formal arrangement which provides a structured, symbolic presentation. Each medallion is bordered with decorative wreaths, the stark monochrome emphasizing the lines, patterns and Latin inscriptions. The two medallions depict female figures in classical poses, possibly allegorical representations linked to the exhibitions. The central medallion bears a detailed inscription indicating its connection to an exhibition in Djokjakarta in 1875, set against a backdrop of dense, ornamental text. The medallions, when seen as signs, become less about their explicit celebratory purpose and more about their role as cultural markers, prompting us to reflect on how colonial exhibitions functioned as performances of cultural power and aesthetic judgement. The very structure of the design, with its ordered layout and symbolic content, underlines the desire to impose a European order onto the landscape of Javanese art.