No, I'm not referencing medals that Art owns or sold to me, I'm talking about medals as sculptures that you can hold in your hand. I attended the recent FIDEM (International Federation of Art Medalists) congress, their 30th aninversary meeting and only second in the US. The last time in the US was in 1987 for their 50th anniversary. Both congresses were hosted by the ANA in Colorado Springs. The range of the art medal is incredibly broad. The history of the medal can be traced back to the Renaissance and includes many items familiar to members of this forum and items you may not immediately think of as numismatic collectibles. I'll use this thread to post a variety of recent acquistions, all that fall within the topic of art medals (Goetzdude's posts about Goetz and Gies are a good example of classic art medals).



Let Sleeping Dogs Lie by Sarah Peters 2004, bronze, 83mm x 86mm

The bronze medal by Sarah Peters was my first purchase at the FIDEM bourse. It is large (over 3 inches square) and heavy. The medal was inspired by Sarah's black lab laying in her studie as she worked. Sarah tells the story of watching her lab sleep, wake, and roll over to get its belly scratched. Our lab does the same thing and I could instantly identify with the scenes. The rough style, large size, and heavy texture are a product of quick work to capture the moment. Sarah explained that she was inspired, roughed out a square of clay, and quickly sketched out the scene before the moment could be lost. That explains the size, and bulk. No effort was made to be refined, the exercise was to capture the raw emotion of the moment. It certainly did from my perspective as I witness this same scene with out lab nearly every morning. He sleeps at the foot of the bed and opens one eye when I get up. As I approach, he slowly rolls on to his back expecting his morning scratch and acknowledgement. He then rolls back to sleep until time for his morning walk.

The medal is signed Peters 04 on the reverse. (Larger image)

Great medal. I've heard that the convention was terrific.

(Are you sure that isn't my medal?

My second purchase at the FIDEM bourse.



20th Century Petroglyph, James MaloneBeach 2000, bronze approximately 6 inches by 5 inches

James MaloneBeach is a New England high school teacher and artist. His creations exhibit a sense of humor and typically spoof awards and honors. As an archaeologist, I was attracted to this piece looking at one of my subject matters with tongue in cheek. Petroglyphs, as the definition notes, are marks on rocks. Society makes marks on the third rock from the sun and like the Nazca lines, some are visible from very high places. The reverse features one such mark--an airport map.

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The official congress medal was also designed by Sarah Peters (see above).



Rebuild/Replenish by Sarah Peters 2007, bronze, 92cm x 92cm

The theme of FIDEM XXX was Passages to Reconstruction in honor of the world's tasks of rebuilding after tsunamis, hurricanes, and so many other natural disasters that befall us. Sarah Peters captured this theme with the construction worker driving one nail and a time and the woman planting one plant at a time. It cannot be done alone, so the medals fit together like puzzle pieces encouraging you to find another collector to match with your puzzle piece. Bringing people together is a necessary task for reconstruction. Each participant received one of these medals with their registration.

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Another bourse purchase.



Untitled by Masaharu Kakitsubo 1997, bronze uniface (about 2 inches wide).

Kakitsubo is president of the private Japanese mint, SHOEI, and a collector as well as medallic artist. This bronze medal was created at an American Medallic Sculpture Association workshop at Trout Run in 1997. The medal is uniface, vary thick bronze with a flat base so that it stands upright. The medals tapers from being thickest at the base to narrower at the top. The base is stamped bronze and hallmarked with Japanese characters. I was attracted to the style of the Japanese artists.

My fourth purchase at the FIDEM bourse.



Here Today Gone Tomorrow by Jeanne Stevens-Sollman, bronze (about 2 inches high)

Two part bronze medal. The artist related the story of mice climbing into water buckets in her barn at night to drink. There was never enough water for them to drwon, but once in, they couldn't get out. Every morning, her setter would run to the barn and scope up a mouth full of mice. The dog would then run around with the mice tails hanging out until the mice biting his tongue would cause him to dump the out and watch them scurry away. The obverse of the top medal shows the nose and jowls of her dog with a tail handing out. Open the medal and you are looking at the inside of the dog's mouth with a mouse sitting there. The second part features the negative recess for the two halves to fit together. The revese captures the moment, Here Today Gone Tomorrow and the artist's signature.

Jeanne received the American Numismatic Society Saltus Award, the Dutch Art Medal Society Award, and the ANA Award for Excellence in Medallic Sculpture.

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The ANA hosted the 20th FIDEM congress in 1987, the organization's 50 anniversary. The ANA had a few medals from that meeting still for sale.



FIDEM 50, Mico Kaufman 1987, bronze 53mm x 78.5mm

The 50th Anniversary medal for FIDEM XXI hosted by the ANA in Colorado Springs. Struck by the Medallic Art Company. Heavy bronze medal. The obverse symbolizes the stability of the organization qs the artists pass through.

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I bought a second FIDEM medal at the ANA from the 21st congress held in Colorado Springs in 1987.



FIDEM 50th Anniversary by Guy-Charles Revol, 1986 bronze (approximately 80mm).

Guy-Charles Revol was a French artist teaching at the School of Applied Arts in Paris. His career as an artist began in 1930. This medal commemorates the previous 20 FIDEM congresses and the cities in which they were held. The reverse commemorates the 21st congress held in Colorado Springs on the occasion of the 50th Anniversary of FIDEM. The reverse is signed REVOL 86 and carries the copyright mark NCM (the Nacional-Casa da Moeda, the Portugese mint in Lisbon).

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As long as I was buying medals at the ANA, I added the ANA 1991 Centennial Medal.

The medals are wonderful. You certainly are making me jealous that I couldn't be there.

I'm really kicking myself for not going too...there appears to have been many shoulders to rub with from Europe...beneficial to my future plans too.

The medals are nice Bill but call me a snob...I prefer pieces pre-WWII and earlier. Granted, I have some 1970's Rasanen medals but they will be on the auction block sometime this winter.

Glad you had a good time

Thanks for the mild complement. I can understand your preference given the fantastic pieces you collect (wonderful artist and production values combine to make for first class art). I'll post some older Louis XIV medals later in another thread, although they are in yet another class. I agree about the older pieces, but I'm also interested in the evolution of the art and find modern pieces to be as interesting as the older medals and sometimes more interesting. I sought a variety of styles on this trip, hence the wide range from the freely handcrafted, quickly carved sleeping dog, to the formal congress medals, to the beautiful Japanese piece that I find peaceful and illustrative of a cultural art style, to the humor of Petroglyph (I guess you need to study them or be a bit odd to get the humor).

Most of these are fantastic!! But these are extra nice in my humble opinion...I love them...thanks for showing them...

Bill,

How do you get copies of those medals, especially the Fidem medal? Dick Johnson mentioned the medal in e-sylum, and I was intrigued. I guess I could e-mail Dick directly, but thought I'd ask.

Are you in Nor Cal or So Cal? If youre close by maybe we could play show and tell. I have an affinity for French Historical Medals as well.

The FIDEM 2007 medal is available through the ANA. The probably still have copies of the two older FIDEM medals as well.

Sarah Peters has a web site. Art in the Hand is a gallery handling art medals.

I'm in the Bay area. Drop me a PM.

Bill