Wide Show-Thaler

1541

Not on view

Transylvania, a Hungarian province, supplied much of Europe’s silver and gold at the time. Alchemists regarded silver as the moon’s metal, imbued with magic powers. It was also the currency of cash, in particular the Thaler: a coin minted throughout sixteenth-century Europe. In an era marked by constant threat of war, precious silver vessels were literally worth their weight in currency—easily melted down in times of need.

[Elizabeth Cleland, 2017]

Artwork Details

Overview

Signatures, Inscriptions, and Markings

Provenance

Exhibition History

Title: Wide Show-Thaler
Date: 1541
Culture: Hungarian, Kremnitz
Medium: Silver
Dimensions: Diameter: 1 5/16 in. (34 mm)
Classification: Medals and Plaquettes
Credit Line: Bequest of Gwynne M. Andrews, 1931
Object Number: 31.33.222
Curatorial Department: European Sculpture and Decorative Arts

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