Marriage medal 1630 - 1665

Curator: It’s fascinating to consider this “Marriage Medal” by Johann Höhn I, crafted sometime between 1630 and 1665. The piece presents an interesting case for exploring material culture. What strikes you most about it? Editor: It is beautiful. The composition and use of metal is really interesting and dense. What catches my eye, though, is the family represented. How should we be thinking about the people represented? Curator: Let's focus on the metal first. Medals like these weren’t just commemorative objects. They were products of highly skilled labor, involving mining, refining, and engraving. Consider the socioeconomic implications of this: who had access to these materials? Who controlled the means of production? The figures and their attire point towards a specific class that was consuming luxury items made by the labour of others. Editor: I didn’t think about that before, that labor and materials are front and center! How does that shape our understanding of it being a "Marriage Medal"? Curator: Marriage wasn't just a union of individuals; it was often a transaction between families, consolidating wealth and power. The medal itself becomes a commodity, reflecting and reinforcing those societal structures. Notice also that tools such as spades and possible nests of plants/produce appear; were such representations of planting also considered important? How might that play a role? Editor: Interesting! So, the medal isn't simply celebrating love. It's advertising a successful economic and social alliance? And by extension advertising control and use of land and property? Curator: Precisely! The metal, the craftsmanship, the imagery – all speak to a very specific moment in history where art, labor, and social class intersected. Looking at it this way allows us to really deconstruct it beyond just a beautiful decorative object. Editor: This has really broadened my perspective on the medal and decorative art pieces in general. Thank you!