Conclusion

Medieval commemorative objects had two facets--they recalled whoever they depicted, and increased the status of the owner of the particular object. Because these objects were often expensive or required specialized artisans to make them, the ability to create and own these objects were limited. As such, they showed that whoever owned them had wealth and power enough to procure them.

These objects, though tied to medieval ideas of wealth, also reflect a final idea of power. To medieval people, true authority often came from the past--it had something to teach, or at least was the key to looking at the present and future. In this vein, art often recalled the past. To own something that recalled the past was to acknowledge the power in that time period. Recalling a past religious martyr or fallen ruler through art showed both the power of a medieval person’s coin, and their understanding of the power of the past and the power of example.