Auguste Rodin's Original Rare Pure Silver Medal Sculpture, Protection
This exceptional 1916 original solid silver sculpted medal, Protection, is a remarkably rare piece by Auguste Rodin, perhaps the Western-world's most recognized sculptor and often referred to as the father of modern sculpture. The rare Rodin-authorized medal was commissioned by the French Actors Fund (L'Aide aux Artistes et Employés de Théâtre) to support theater professionals whose livelihoods had been devastated by World War I.
Featuring two entwined lovers, the form was taken directly from the intricately carved figures of Rodin's most ambitious 37-year masterpiece, , originally conceived by Rodin in the 1880s. Rodin isolated this section from the larger original using a casting to duplicate his previous work to serve as a model for the size-reduced detail. This rare collectable medal is at once an original new sculpture created after another of Rodin's works, a multiple, a lifetime impression, and a remarkable artifact of his evolving creative process.
Thousands of medals were sold in bronze to raise money for the fund but only a select few were cast in silver, as needed, and awarded exclusively to important donors and supporters. As silver was considered a strategic material during the great war, the number of silver medals produced was extremely small, making this an exceptionally scarce casting with no exact edition number known. This historic silver medal represents a premier acquisition for serious Rodin collectors.
Inscription on verso: "PROTECTION" COMPOSÉ PAR AUGUSTE RODIN POUR “THE FRENCH ACTORS FUND” AU PROFIT DE L’AIDE AUX ARTISTES ET EMPLOYÉS DE THÉÂTRE EN COLLABORATION AVEC L’ASSOCIATION DES DIRECTEURS DE THÉÂTRE DE PARIS PARIS
NEW-YORK MCMXVI.
Artwork Detail
- Artist: Auguste Rodin
- Title: Protection
- Medium: High Relief Sculpture
- Category: Original Lifetime Impression
- Signature: Incised in the Mold
- Dimensions: 3 13/16" x 1 11/16" (9.7 x 4.3cm)
- Casting Material: 0.950 Silver*
- Weight: 162g
- Publisher: L'Aide aux Artistes et Employés de Théâtre, 1916
- Reference: As Seen on Pawn Stars
Includes COA from Gold & Silver Pawn Shop
Condition as pictured
*This medal was inspected with industry-standard XRF Spectrometry upon accquisition resulting in a 95% AU reading, consistent with .950 purity French Silver.