Different Contexts, Different Meanings
"Each moment in the object’s lifespan seems to have a distinct role"
Hahn, H.P. and Weiss, H. “Introduction: Biographies, travels and itineraries of things”, in H.P. Hahn and H. Weiss (eds.), Mobility, Meaning & Transformations of Things, (Oxford: 2013), p. 7.
Consider the different meanings this mould might have had according to the context it would have existed in...
Financial Value
- It was created by a craftsman and he would have been paid for the work
Sentimental Value
- Having it in their home, post-wedding, would have reminded Joachim and Susanna of their wedding day
- Susanna may have kept it after Joachim's death as a reminder of her first husband
- Their daughter may have kept it as a reminder of her parent's marriage
- Future Peyer or Ziegler descendents may have kept it as a reminder of the joining of their families
Financial Value once again...?
- As the decades have gone by, it's financial worth may have increased as it becomes an antique
Historical Value
- We are currently using it as a source of historical inquiry!
Social Value
- The ornate design represents the family's wealth, the alliance of the coat of arms represents their connections within society
- Being able to trace ancestry back to this bourgeoisie family gives modern descendents a level of prestige