Muziekfestival van de vereniging Echo der Leie te St. Denijs-Westrem, penning uitgereikt aan de Zangmaatschappij Societe Lyrique uit Syngem 1846

This small medal was made by an anonymous artist to commemorate the Echo der Leie music festival in St. Denijs-Westrem. It was given to the Societe Lyrique singing group from Syngem. The medal is made of a base metal, likely a simple alloy, cold-stamped with the inscription and central image. The material itself isn't precious, but the medal’s production reflects a wider spirit of community and artistic endeavor. The making of this medal involved the skilled labor of a die-maker and the operation of a press, indicating a level of industrialization present even in ostensibly rural cultural events. The creation of such an object speaks to the intersection of local artistic expression and the machinery of production. This little token represents not just a musical event, but a moment where craft, industry, and community came together. It reminds us that art and culture aren't separate from the world of labor and manufacturing, but deeply intertwined.