The Governors of the Amsterdam Guild of Gold- and Silversmiths by Juriaen Pool II, 1701. Before the Assay Office was established, gold and silver were inspected and hallmarked by the guilds. Master gold- and silversmiths were obliged to join the guild of their city; they paid membership fees and their maker’s mark was stamped on a guild plate. If silver and gold items were of the correct purity level, they were stamped with the city’s mark.
How large is this painting?
The dimensions are 1.87 by 2.33 meters.
Five governors of the Amsterdam guild of gold- and silversmiths’ guild are sitting at a table with an oriental carpet. In front of them are a goblet, candlestick, sugar caster and wooden box. This could be a coin-weight box or a casket containing touch needles (instruments for testing silver and gold). The painter’s name and the year are inscribed on the back of the chair in the foreground. That year tells us which individuals are depicted here: Dirk Schelte, Joannes de Vicq, Mattheus Weyland, Hendrik de Hondt and Gerard de Lange – but who is who is not known.