Agneta Block (1629-1704), First Person in the Netherlands to Cultivate a Pineapple 1700

This silver medal was made by Jan Boskam to honor Agneta Block, the first person in the Netherlands to cultivate a pineapple. Block lived during the Dutch Golden Age, a period when the Dutch Republic was at the center of global trade, science, and the arts. This medal tells us a story about wealth, global exchange, and the natural world, but more subtly, it also highlights the role of women. On one side is a portrait of Agneta Block, a woman of status, a collector, and patron of the arts and sciences, and on the other side is a figure who seems to embody Flora, the Roman goddess of flowers and springtime. By connecting Block to Flora, the medal subtly elevates her status, suggesting that her cultivation of a pineapple was not just a feat of horticulture but an almost mythical achievement. In this way, the medal offers a glimpse into the complex intersections of gender, class, and scientific discovery during the Dutch Golden Age.