Anti-christelijke confederatie tussen Engeland, Frankrijk, Turkije en Algiers 1688

This is a medal cast in gold around 1688 by Jan Smeltzing, likely created as political commentary. On one side, we observe figures arranged around what appears to be an altar, an assembly suggestive of treaty or pact. The composition is formal and symmetrical; the figures are evenly spaced, contributing to a sense of deliberate arrangement. The reverse presents us with more symbolic imagery: a dragon-like creature hovers above a crescent moon. These symbols don't merely decorate the surface; rather, they act as signifiers. The dragon could represent the English, the crescent—the Turkish. The entire composition posits a confederacy, indicated in the medal’s title, which may be perceived as ‘anti-Christian.’ The medal is not just an artifact; it's a structured argument, a commentary encoded in symbols, challenging contemporary alliances. It invites us to look beyond the aesthetic and consider its historical context, deciphering its visual language within the power dynamics of its time.