Monday, December 21, 2009

Do You Love Old Medals


I'm still creating molds and doing test casts of the treasure trove of french antiques I received as a loan. I love these two medals I made on the weekend.

It was hard to take the imagery off the original as it was hinged and intact. It even had the original stitched ribbon on it. I really loved seeing it. But I needed to be careful of the original, and I didn't want to take it apart. How to get a nice clear image? I thought about it a few days, pondering.

So I decided to leave the hinge pins showing. And so far I've only created the front side of it. But it has a lot of detail, and the date 1870 on it.


I'm trying to think what might have been going on in french history in 1870 that would cause a medal to commemorate it. Is that Napoleonic times? I need to do some research, I feel awful that I don't know this.

It's way before WWI, so it has to be very old history. The hinge pins look like it would open, but it doesn't, it's a solid piece. It makes me think about how to create those hinges, though. Always thinking of new things to try.


The profile is worn and hard to capture. I may carve an original to enhance it more, keeping the feeling of the laurel leaves around the border.

I wish it was a celebration of peace. When I find more details, I'll definitely share. And if your history knowledge is better than mine, please fill me in, too!

10 comments:

mairedodd said...

i love these and am glad you left the hinges...
so what i have seen is that this is the time of the franco-prussian war (july)- but france was defeated... early in the year, there was a vote to reaffirm the status of the second french empire - this was the time of napoleon III, napoleon I was through 1815... i am not a treasure trove of history, just a lover of academia... so you put out a 'what happened in?' and i looked it up! :0)

Anonymous said...

beautiful, i love the hinges too!

EmandaJ said...

I did a little digging too and found an image of what looks like your medal:
http://la_grande_armee.tripod.com/French_medals.htm

Beautiful work, Lynn.
Emanda

LLYYNN - Lynn Davis said...

Wow, you are great! This is what I was hoping for, more information is good.

Emanda, you are so right! The silk ribbon on the medal is that same color and stripes.

I am so thrilled to know more about this.

Of course, the one I cast from was in a little bit of a battered shape, I hope I have added new life by making the replica.

More, more ... do you know any more?

Marie-Aimée said...

simply beautiful medals !!

Riki Schumacher said...

This is so interesting to learn about this medal ladies. Yes, do tell more when you learn it, thanks! Lynn, love the hinges on there, good choice to leave the design element I think, don't you?

Alice said...

Yes, Yes! Just today I was oggling a lady's earrings that looked like old medals. I'm sure she thought I was a freak!

These are beautiful! I was never any good at history, so no helpe from me.

ClickNCamera said...

Amazing pieces! Beautifully crafted!

Pretty Things said...

That's just gorgeous! You would have LOVED this vendor I ran into at an Intergem show on Friday -- she sold old (and some VERY old and VERY expensive) coins that were made into jewelry or could BE made into jewelry. I asked if she had any coins from the Culloden war period from Scotland, and the closest thing she had was $800. I admired it and then put it back. But oh my!

The Joy of Nesting said...

These are quite exquisite just the way you have caste them Lynn. With the reliefs worn down the way they appear one could imagine that the medal was carried for years in a vest pocket perhaps by the mother who's son was honored posthumously.

It certainly is another wonderful piece that fits in with the rest of your fautiques!!

Pattie ;)
Mazatlan Mx.