Bakkersgilde van Enkhuizen, gildepenning van Dirk Karsten 1766

This is a silver guild badge, made for Dirk Karsten of the Bakers Guild of Enkhuizen, it is dated 1766. Note the circular form, a shape that implies continuity and wholeness. One side depicts the baker in his milieu. Look closely at the interior space, created with fine lines, suggesting a tiled floor, an oven and the tools of his trade. The baker is captured in action, a figure rendered with economy and precision. On the other side, the inscription of Dirk Karsten’s name and the date are framed with flourishes, embellishments that evoke the era’s taste for ornate design. This badge functions as a signifier of belonging and professional identity. The linear precision used in the baker’s scene, contrasts with the cursive lettering, each element serves a specific purpose: the former conveys the realities of work, while the latter is for individual and collective identity. The contrast invites us to reflect on the relationship between labor and the individual within the guild structure.