Design for a seal for 'Commerce': Den Koop Handel

Design for a seal for 'Commerce': Den Koop Handel by Anonymous, Dutch, 18th century

Medium

Pen and brown ink

Dimensions

7 3/16 x 8 7/8 in. (18.2 x 22.6 cm)

Classification

Drawings

Department

Drawings and Prints

Museum

Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY

Credit

Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1946

Accession Number

46.41.3

Tags

AnchorsBarrels

Art Historical Context

This delicate pen and brown ink drawing, created by an anonymous Dutch artist in the 18th century, presents a design for a seal emblematic of "Commerce," titled *Den Koop Handel*—Dutch for "The Buy Trade." Seals like this were essential tools in the Netherlands' vibrant mercantile world, used to authenticate documents, goods, and contracts for trading companies or guilds. During the 18th century, the Dutch Republic remained a powerhouse of global trade, fueled by maritime ventures through the Dutch East India Company (VOC) and bustling ports like Amsterdam, making such symbols potent emblems o...

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