Schoenmakersgilde uit de Zuidelijke Nederlanden, waarschijnlijk Lille, gildepenning op naam van Pierre Antoine Le Clercq 1731

This small bronze guild badge was made in 1731, likely in Lille, for Pierre Antoine Le Clercq. It’s a material record of a very specific system of labor. The object is made from cast bronze; the incised inscription on the reverse suggests a handmade mold, perhaps carved in wood or plaster. The front shows two shoemakers with their tools. The creation of this badge likely involved several steps, and the bronze material itself would have been produced in a fairly hot and dangerous workshop. The labor-intensive process underscores the value placed on membership within the guild. Guilds like the shoemakers' provided professional, economic, and social structures for artisans, and they offer insight into the world of labor and craft in the 18th century. This humble token thus encapsulates the pride and identity of the artisan within a larger socio-economic framework. It reminds us that even seemingly simple objects can tell complex stories about labor, craftsmanship, and community.