Wapenschild met een helm en bladranken 1625

This is an engraving of a crest, adorned with a helmet and leafy flourishes, made by an anonymous artist. Heraldry, the art of creating and blazoning coats of arms, often represented the identity and lineage of noble families or individuals. But what happens when that identity is unclaimed, or perhaps, deliberately obscured? The anonymity of the artist invites us to consider the broader social and political contexts in which such imagery circulated. The empty shield at the center is like a stage waiting for a performance. One might imagine the stories of power, privilege, and perhaps even exclusion, that these symbols once conveyed. The surrounding foliage softens the martial aspect of the helmet, hinting at the complexities inherent in claiming a place within a rigid social hierarchy. Ultimately, this crest becomes a meditation on the narratives we construct around ourselves and the symbols we choose to represent them.