RUSSIAN SOLO CLOWN 1890.

[constanius]

Obv: ANATOLI DUROW, bust of Anatoli Durov facing right wearing fur coat.
Rev: ERSTER RUSSISCHER SOLO CLOWN, around coat-of-arms.
Bronze 23mm circa 1890 by Otto Oertel(Germ. active 1888-1915) rare .




Anatoly Leonidevich Durov(Durow/Douroff) in Russian Анато́лий Леонидович Ду́ров (November 26, 1864-January 7, 1916)
Born into a noble Russian family both he and his brother Vladimir joined the circus and in doing so founded a Russian circus dynasty.
Anatoly became a solo clown(clown-satirist) who used to deliver a monologue attacking authority figures and he also used dogs, cats, mice & a pig in his performance. Feeling the heat in tsarist Russia he embarked on a tour in 1890-91 of Austria-Hungary, Germany, Spain, Italy, and France. Whilst he was performing in Berlin he named his pig 'Will'and he placed a Prussian spiked helmet on it's head and called out 'Will helm', the name of the Kaiser was Wilhelm, Durov was subsequently arrested and asked to leave Germany.
This medal, because it is inscribed in German, ERSTER RUSSISCHER SOLO CLOWN(The leading Russian solo clown), would appear to be for that tour. I have seen the same medal with a French inscription PREMIER CLOWN RUSSE, signed Oertel. The reverse shows, what I assume is, the genuine Durov coat-of-arms.

[constanius]

Acquired the unsigned French version, there is another French one which is signed & ANATOLI is missing the I = ANATOL. perhaps one will come my way.

 

 

 

 

South Amboy Citizen Saturday, March 24, 1917. NJ article re Durov.