Stack's Bowers & Ponterio
January 2014 NYINC Auction - Sess. C-D 13 January 2014
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FRANCE. Orpheus, (1899).
68mm silver, by Coudray. Maier 223. Laureated portrait of the god, holding his lyre. Reverse: Winged male angel, seated on a blank cartouche; musical instruments. The Paris Mint sold 4500 copies at the 1900 Universal Exposition (mostly bronze, of course). Truly one of the classics of Art-Nouveau, the obverse was used as a cover design for Mark Jones' The Art of the Medal.
The cataloger has had considerable experience with this medal. It is very occasionally met with in a uniface version of large size, four inches plus. I sold one to the actor Sylvester Stallone, who was shopping for paperweights.
About 15 years ago I purchased two examples in a medals collection from the estate of a Charles Kurtz heir. He was the art director of the Louisiana Purchase Exposition, but previously was an arts official for the US exhibit at the aforementioned 1900 Paris exposition. The two pieces were likely from the 4500 sold at the Expo, but Kurtz would only have been one of many persons, immersed in the arts, who fell under the spell of the medal as art.
Bronze examples are happily common and sell for well under $200. The cartouche on reverse is obviously intended for engraving, but awarded bronzes are very rare. Many of the silver examples, which are uncommon, have been engraved as awards, but along the edge at left of reverse. This is nicer than most silver examples. NEARLY MINT STATE.
68mm silver, by Coudray. Maier 223. Laureated portrait of the god, holding his lyre. Reverse: Winged male angel, seated on a blank cartouche; musical instruments. The Paris Mint sold 4500 copies at the 1900 Universal Exposition (mostly bronze, of course). Truly one of the classics of Art-Nouveau, the obverse was used as a cover design for Mark Jones' The Art of the Medal.
The cataloger has had considerable experience with this medal. It is very occasionally met with in a uniface version of large size, four inches plus. I sold one to the actor Sylvester Stallone, who was shopping for paperweights.
About 15 years ago I purchased two examples in a medals collection from the estate of a Charles Kurtz heir. He was the art director of the Louisiana Purchase Exposition, but previously was an arts official for the US exhibit at the aforementioned 1900 Paris exposition. The two pieces were likely from the 4500 sold at the Expo, but Kurtz would only have been one of many persons, immersed in the arts, who fell under the spell of the medal as art.
Bronze examples are happily common and sell for well under $200. The cartouche on reverse is obviously intended for engraving, but awarded bronzes are very rare. Many of the silver examples, which are uncommon, have been engraved as awards, but along the edge at left of reverse. This is nicer than most silver examples. NEARLY MINT STATE.