Vijftigjarig huwelijk van Matthijs Siegenbeek en Geertruida Tieboel 1849

This silver medal was made by David van der Kellen in the Netherlands, likely sometime around 1852. It commemorates the fiftieth wedding anniversary of Matthijs Siegenbeek and Geertruida Tieboel. The material itself is key here: silver has always been associated with value, purity, and special occasions. To create the medal, a silversmith would have used techniques like engraving and die-striking to impress the design onto the metal. Look closely and you can see the fine details: an allegorical figure, perhaps representing Hymen, the god of marriage, as well as inscriptions and decorative elements. The level of craftsmanship speaks to the importance of this event, as does the choice of material. The medal embodies the couple's enduring bond, but also, more broadly, the values of stability, family, and tradition. It prompts us to consider how even seemingly simple objects can carry profound social and cultural significance.