SOME INTERESTING MEDALS: APRIL 19, 2015

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V18 2015 INDEX E-SYLUM ARCHIVE

The E-Sylum: Volume 18, Number 16, April 19, 2015, Article 18

These medals caught my eye this week in Joe Levine's Presidential Coin & Antique Company fixed price list #94. For copies of Joe's price list, email him at JLEVINE968@aol.com. -Editor

Bronze. Very Fine. Cast by the Roman Bronze Works. This is the earliest of Manship’s works in this genre and was commissioned by the National Sculpture Society as a gift to its lay members. He chose the goddess Diana for his subject and this work is an obvious precursor to his later sculpture of the same subject.

The impression of motion achieved in the figures is astounding and the fluidity of the figure of Diana is ripe with early Minoan influences. The hound exudes physical power and lightning speed as he bounds at her side. The encircling beaded border barely contains the pair giving the impression they might leap from the bowl at any moment. The inscription circling the outside rim (FROM THE NATIONAL SCULPTURE SOCEITY TO ITS LAY MEMBERS MCMXV.) is given as much attention as the figures within. Signed both in the bowl and around the base, it is one of only two works to be signed twice by the artist. $695.00

Paul Manship, Sc, Extremely Fine. The border is inscribed: CARNEGIE CORPORATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT AND DIFFUSION OF KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING. Banner engraved, PRESENTED TO/ FRANK AYDELOTTE. Franklin Ridgeway Aydelotte was President of Swarthmore College (191-1940) and was also the director of the Institute for Advanced Study from 1939 until 1947.

"Societal acceptance of smoking resulted in this work, the second ashtray to be commissioned by a major organization. It was awarded for outstanding effort in an educational context within the organization and utilizes the rearing form of Pegasus as its central theme. In Manship’s oeuvre, the winged steed is symbolic of artistic inspiration or as a means of transport to higher realms, in this case knowledge. Stylized waves crash against the crystalline rocks to symbolize the diffusion of knowledge, wearing them away and carrying the grains around the globe. These crystals also, like knowledge, are ever growing and serve as a bulwark against the tempest of chaos." $995.00

My kids may ask, "What's an ashtray?" Well, heck, as a kid I MADE ashtrays from clay at school. They were everywhere when I was growing up - nearly all the adults in the family smoked cigarettes, even my grandmother. I tried them as a kid, but had already decided to quit before high school, and have never lived with a smoker from college on. The only ashtrays in our house are two colorful fish-shaped Depression glass ashtrays that had belonged to my parents. Times change, and these ashtray-sculptures are a fascinating window into a bygone era. Smoking hasn't disappeared, but it's not ubiquitous like it was back in the day. -Editor

CONQUEST OF SPACE MEDAL, 1971. 63.5mm. Bronze. Paul Calle, des. & Joseph DiLorenzo, Sc. (MACO) Edge numbered. "0237" Choice Unc. Obv: Astronaut in space hooked to line from capsule. THE CONQUEST OF SPACE. Rx: MAN'S DREAM above flying figure of Icarus and radiant sun.

Originally issued as part of a matched serial numbered set of silver and bronze medals limited to 250 sets. An unknown number of additional serially numbered medals were struck without being included in matched set boxes. However, judging from the paucity of auction appearances, there probably were not many. $85.00

I hadn't seen this one before. Nicely done. Space travel ain't the humdrum norm some people were predicting it would be by now, but we're still pecking away at it. Companies are testing robot vehicles to mine rare minerals from satellites, and SpaceX is inching closer to successfully recovering and reusing booster rockets to greatly reduce their cost. I remember the Apollo moon landing; will we reach Mars in my lifetime? SpaceX founder Elon Musk said he'd like to die on Mars, "just not on impact..." -Editor