Zilveren beker van Maximiliaan van Bourgonje, 1751 1751

This silver beaker was made in 1751 by Caspar Jacobsz Philips in the Netherlands. The image contains depictions of war heroes and battles. These visual codes and historical associations are central to understanding its cultural and social significance. At this time, the Dutch Republic was a major maritime power with a vast colonial empire. The construction of national identity was shaped by key historical events. The beaker invokes the glory and heroism of military victories. It may have been created for a civic event, to cement the status of the ruling classes. Objects like this tell us a great deal about the priorities and self-image of a particular society. Art historians can examine archival records, such as guild documents, and commissioning information, to determine how such an object was used. This allows us to interpret art as a product of specific social and institutional contexts.