Taeke Friso de Jong, 1992, bronze, cast, 152 mm, NEPK2566
The occasion for the medal shown was the joint presentation of the three Water Boards Delfland, Rijnland and Schieland at the horticultural exposition Floriade ’92. The location of this 10-year event was the Rokkeveen part of Zoetermeer. Each of the three water boards is responsible for the surface water management for its area of Rokkeveen. A centuries old border marker near the water tower in Rokkeveen denotes the location where the three water board areas meet each other. At Floriade ’92 the three decided to present their tasks in surface water management in a joint pavilion. Besides their traditional responsibility of protection against high water they now also have the responsibility for maintaining the quality of the surface waters. In the pavilion, a large three-dimensional scale model of The Netherlands drew many visitors. In less than 30 minutes the visitors could see how the lower parts of the country would flood in the absence of proper dike protection, and how the water would recede when the tides go out. The presentation of water quality issues was also informative and appreciated.
The medal’s obverse shows the flora and fauna of the surface waters, stressing their relevance. The texts seem to be flowing casually but elegantly between the pictural elements. The reverse shows a black-tailed godwit on its wings over the water rich landscape between the coastline in the west, the Rotterdam Waterway in the south and the North Sea Canal in the north. The old border marker is prominently present.
The medal has an unusually large diameter and has a beautiful green patina.
For the medal shown, click: https://www.nepk.nl/en/collectie/?id=2566
For earlier news items, click: https://www.nepk.nl/en/news/
