Vredesonderhandelingen met Frankrijk 1709

This small silver medal was created by Martin Brunner, likely in the late 17th or early 18th century. It commemorates peace negotiations with France. The material itself speaks to status. Silver was associated with wealth and power. Consider the labor involved: mining and refining the silver, designing the dies, and striking the medal itself. The images pressed into the metal—rulers, symbolic figures, Latin inscriptions—would have been carefully considered and meticulously executed. The medal’s small size invites close inspection, each detail revealing the artisan’s skill. Commemorative medals like this one occupied a space between art and craft. They were functional objects, used to celebrate events and demonstrate political allegiances. Yet, they were also carefully designed objects, intended to convey meaning and evoke emotion. Appreciating the medal requires us to consider the material, the making, and the context.