Post by: Rabenauge on March 28, 2020, 10:14:44 AM
Arthur Storch. (1909/1910).
"Bear and snake." Cast bronze, medium brown patina, 24.5 mm, 8.95 g. Vorzüglich (extremely fine).
Obverse: Walking bear to left on ground-line; slithering snake to right under pearled exergue line.
Reverse: Stylized laurel-wreath border, three-line inscription ✻ / V Z / ✻ G ✻ (V[erein] Z[oologischer] G[arten] - see below); raised rim.
Cf: Habich, Georg. 1909/10. "Eine Medaillen-Konkurrenz" in Kunst und Handwerk 60, p. 235: no. 443 (ill. obverse).
Cf: Salaschek, Sunhild. 1980. Katalog der Medaillen und Plaketten des 19. und 20. Jahrhunderts im französischen und deutschen Sprachraum in der Hamburger Kunsthalle, I (text): p. 395: no. 1633; II (Studien und Tafeln): pl. 117.
Cf: Heidemann, Martin. 1998. Medaillenkunst in Deutschland von 1895 bis 1914. Die Kunstmedaille in Deutschland, Band 8, pp. 320: no. 1057- 11) (not illustrated).
The "Zoologischer Garten München e.V. [eingetragener Verein]" (Zoological Garden, Munich, Registered Association) was founded in February 1905, and opened the Hellabrunn Zoo (Tierpark Hellabrunn) to the public 1 August 1911. In 1909 and 1910, Arthur Storch designed a series of eleven medals of various sizes, depicting various animals, to commemorate the inauguration. The present medal is the smallest of the group.