Unidentified society badge

Decorated with a variety of symbols and phrases, as well as allegorical figures of Fortuna and Chronos, this medallion is likely to have been made for members of a secret society or fraternal organization (possibly related to Freemasonry). One side bears an illustration of the fable of The Man, the Boy, and the Donkey (the story of a father and son who, having been criticized by passerby both for walking beside their donkey and riding it, foolishly decide to tie its feet to a pole and carry it between them) beneath the legend, "Avoid Ridicule."


Enameled objects like this one were intended to imitate the lustrous quality of porcelain at more affordable prices. By the middle of the eighteenth century, technological innovations had made it possible to roll copper, instead of the far costlier gold, into very thin sheets. Powdered glass mixed with minerals (to determine the opacity and color of the enamel) would then be applied onto the copper sheets and fired at high temperatures. A design—whether a famous portrait, generic pastoral scene, or floral motif— could be painted on by hand or copied from an engraving through the newly invented process of transfer printing. Many enameled objects combined both methods of decoration and would be refired after the application of each new layer or color.