frank Posted May 22, 2008 Report Share Posted May 22, 2008 Can anyone tell me just what might be happening here? It looks like the central figure is getting some help from the Big Guy in the Sky (a sceptre and a palm frond coming out of the clouds), but who might be the crouching losers on either side? I'm actually selling this jeton on eBay starting this Sunday, and I feel foolish not knowing what the allegory is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frank Posted May 22, 2008 Author Report Share Posted May 22, 2008 The motto is VIR TEM SE VIR FOR SE -- any guesses for how this might come out in translation? Is VIR for VIRTUTE or simply VIR for man? and what about TEM or FOR?...... I can't find anything online that's similar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
constanius Posted May 22, 2008 Report Share Posted May 22, 2008 The motto is VIR TEM SE VIR FOR SE -- any guesses for how this might come out in translation? Is VIR for VIRTUTE or simply VIR for man? and what about TEM or FOR?...... I can't find anything online that's similar. Man himself is transitory, Man boasts about himself. That would appear to be what it says if you take TEM as a short form of TEMPORE. The Edict of Amboise was signed at the Château of Amboise on March 19, 1563 by Catherine de' Medici, acting as regent for her son Charles IX of France. The treaty officially ended the first phase of the French Wars of Religion. Moreover, the treaty restored peace to France by guaranteeing the Huguenots religious privileges and freedoms. I wonder if the central figure is Catherine de' Medici, and the poor souls she is sheltering (by The Edict of Amboise) are Huguenots. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frank Posted May 23, 2008 Author Report Share Posted May 23, 2008 Hmmmm... Thanks Constanius for the history. I think the jeton's one of Krauwinckel's (it's his style), and it would make sense for the Northern Germans to support Protestantism in France. If that's Catherine de Medicis in the middle, though, she's looking pretty scrawny. But the figure could still represent Chas IX in some allegorical form, or just the personification of the French royalty... I wish the jeton were cleaner and not so corroded, but I daren't clean it up, of course. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian Posted May 25, 2008 Report Share Posted May 25, 2008 Hmmmm... Thanks Constanius for the history. I think the jeton's one of Krauwinckel's (it's his style), and it would make sense for the Northern Germans to support Protestantism in France. If that's Catherine de Medicis in the middle, though, she's looking pretty scrawny. But the figure could still represent Chas IX in some allegorical form, or just the personification of the French royalty... I wish the jeton were cleaner and not so corroded, but I daren't clean it up, of course. I wasn't sure from the image if the date was 1561,2,3, or 7. unfortunately my references are all packed away for the moment so my input is likely to be as useful as a one legged man in a butt kicking competition. I have a king's counsel jeton dated 1561 which (strangely) is in the name of Francis II. He died in december 1560, but it is not unheard of for there to be two different jetons of the same series for the same date, more so given that the order for its production must have been given during his lasy months of life. My first thought was that this was perhaps issued under Charles IX in 1561 and represented the edict of Orleans which (albeit temporarily) attempted to put an end to the persecution of the Hugeunots. However if it is indeed 1563 then i'd go with what Constanius says. In any event it is most likely to represent one or other of the events of France's religious wars. I'm intrigued by the figure with the wheel on the right. Someone on a wheel is usually taken to mean `Fortuna' and her wheel of fortune. It does appear to be a female figure....or my eyesight is playing up again. In 19thc gaming tokens we often see `Fortuna' on her mono cycle carrying a cornucopia. In this case however I would presume that the jeton depicts someone who is intervening (bringing fortune) to assist those whose fortunes have hit the depths. I'll crawl back under my brick now Ian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freek Posted September 11, 2008 Report Share Posted September 11, 2008 This is a French jeton. Hans Krauwinckel has made Nuremberg copies of this type but always signed with his name or initials. Freek Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
constanius Posted April 9, 2010 Report Share Posted April 9, 2010 Can anyone tell me just what might be happening here? It looks like the central figure is getting some help from the Big Guy in the Sky (a sceptre and a palm frond coming out of the clouds), but who might be the crouching losers on either side? I'm actually selling this jeton on eBay starting this Sunday, and I feel foolish not knowing what the allegory is. Sorry this is a bit late Frank: VIR TEM SE VIR FOR SE = virtutem tempus secundat, virtutem fortuna secundat. = Time is secondary to courage, Fortune(luck) is secondary to courage. "Le roi vetu des ornements royaux debout sur un piedestal, tient de la main droite un septre et de la main gauche une palme; des rayons sortent des nuages en haut du champ; a droit du piedestal, le temps asis a terre; a gauche, la fortune assise. A l'exerque 1563" The king dressed in the royal robes standing on a pedestal, takes in the right hand a sceptre and in the left hand a palm; Rays leaving clouds at the top of the field; Right of the pedestal, Time is sat on the earth; the left Fortune is sat. exerque 1563 http://www.archive.org/stream/lesmdailleur.../2up/search/vir page 194 #957 http://www.archive.org/stream/lesmdailleur...e/n203/mode/1up This link is clearer, page 203 #957 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frank Posted April 9, 2010 Author Report Share Posted April 9, 2010 Awesome Constanius --you found Mazerolle online! Good old Toronto, a great library. (Good old Canada, period: you want good public services, go to Canada.) I still think it looks like the central standing figure is holding up two turkey legs, one in each hand. But really, I guess those are wings on Time's back, and shouldn't he be holding an hourglass? It looks like he has a bowl of cereal... Fortune is easier --with her wheel and the sail behind her. thanks for finding this. I will now sleep easier knowing just what's going on here! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
constanius Posted April 9, 2010 Report Share Posted April 9, 2010 This is Saturn who was the god of time, aging & death. Shown with wings & scythe on this medal, he later morphed into our Father Time with an hourglass, not sure when the hourglass was added to his accoutrements though, perhaps post 1563. Perhaps his bowl of cereal is a sundial. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YeOldeCollector Posted April 10, 2010 Report Share Posted April 10, 2010 This is Saturn who was the god of time, aging & death. Shown with wings & scythe on this medal, he later morphed into our Father Time with an hourglass, not sure when the hourglass was added to his accoutrements though, perhaps post 1563. Perhaps his bowl of cereal is a sundial. We see the hourglass appear quite often in the 1520s and 1530s with regards to Hans Holbein's woodcut series of death, albeit not Father Time it does have a minor relation. Otherwise, there were depictions of death in a 'Grim Reaper'-esque style holding a scythe and hourglass all throughout the Middle Ages, especially in the 1300s. However, the wings of Saturn have now morphed into death's winged friends in the form of crows. A fascinating jeton frank, and the insight being posted by Ian and Constanius is equally interesting. Thanks for sharing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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