Author Topic: Hawk-eagle and snake  (Read 6734 times)

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  • Arthur Storch.  1910. 

    EROEF - FNVUNG / DES■ZO - OLOG● / GAR - TENS / MVEN - CHEN / ★ 1 9 1 0★ (opening of the Zoolog[ical] Gardens Munich 1910).  "Hawk-eagle and snake".  Cast bronze, verdigris patina, 73.9 mm, 143.17 g.  Vorzüglich+ (extremely fine+).  Rare.

    Obverse: On conifer branch, hawk-eagle perched, to right, with snake writhing in talons.  Inscription V. ——  Z.G. (V[erein] Z[oologischer] G[arten] - Association of the Zoological Gardens) left and right, respectively; artist's monogram ligatured AST・ lower left; slightly concave field, relief images and letters; raised rim. 

    Reverse: Growing upwards at center from pearled ground-line stylized Robinia(?) with drooping branches across upper field; five-line title inscription divided by tree trunk; year date in exergue; relief images and lettering; raised rim.

    Cf: Habich, Georg.  1909/10.  "Eine Medaillen-Konkurrenz" in Kunst und Handwerk 60, p. 235: no. 436, 437.

    Cf: Köcke, Ulrike.  1975.  Katalog der Medaillen und Plaketten des 19. und 20. Jahrhunderts in der Kunsthalle Bremen, pp. 142 - 143, ills. 154, 155 (see note below).

    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. 393: no. 1625; II (Studien und Tafeln): pl. 116.

    Cf: Heidemann, Martin.  1998.  Medaillenkunst in Deutschland von 1895 bis 1914. Die Kunstmedaille in Deutschland, Band 8, pp. 320, 470: no. 1057-01).

    Köcke (p. 143) refers to a variant reverse for this medal illustrated in Bernhart, M., Die Münchener Medaillenkunst der Gegenwart, 1917, pl. 54: 365, but this is a misunderstanding.  The reverse of the medal shown in Bernhart's image 365 is in fact the reverse of image 367, depicting a Black Rhinoceros on the obverse.  Both sides of the rhinoceros medal are shown and labeled in Heidemann (p. 470: 1057-05) Vs and 1057-05) Rs). 
     
    Most descriptions of this medal label the bird as a "Harpyie" (i.e. Harpy Eagle Harpia harpyia), but that is clearly not the species depicted.  It is, rather, a generic hawk-eagle or another crested eagle-like raptor, but it is impossible to be more accurate.

    The Verein Zoologischer Garten München e.V. [eingetragener Verein] (Association of the Zoological Garden, Munich, registered association) was founded in February 1905, and opened the Zoo to the public 1 August 1911.  In 1909 and 1910, Arthur Storch designed a series of eleven medals of various sizes, depicting different animals, to commemorate the inauguration.  The present medal is one of the largest of the group.
Hawk-eagle and snake
« on: March 29, 2020, 07:10:37 AM »

Arthur Storch.  1910. 

EROEF - FNVUNG / DES■ZO - OLOG● / GAR - TENS / MVEN - CHEN / ★ 1 9 1 0★ (opening of the Zoolog[ical] Gardens Munich 1910).  "Hawk-eagle and snake".  Cast bronze, verdigris patina, 73.9 mm, 143.17 g.  Vorzüglich+ (extremely fine+).  Rare.

Obverse: On conifer branch, hawk-eagle perched, to right, with snake writhing in talons.  Inscription V. ——  Z.G. (V[erein] Z[oologischer] G[arten] - Association of the Zoological Gardens) left and right, respectively; artist's monogram ligatured AST・ lower left; slightly concave field, relief images and letters; raised rim. 

Reverse: Growing upwards at center from pearled ground-line stylized Robinia(?) with drooping branches across upper field; five-line title inscription divided by tree trunk; year date in exergue; relief images and lettering; raised rim.

Cf: Habich, Georg.  1909/10.  "Eine Medaillen-Konkurrenz" in Kunst und Handwerk 60, p. 235: no. 436, 437.

Cf: Köcke, Ulrike.  1975.  Katalog der Medaillen und Plaketten des 19. und 20. Jahrhunderts in der Kunsthalle Bremen, pp. 142 - 143, ills. 154, 155 (see note below).

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. 393: no. 1625; II (Studien und Tafeln): pl. 116.

Cf: Heidemann, Martin.  1998.  Medaillenkunst in Deutschland von 1895 bis 1914. Die Kunstmedaille in Deutschland, Band 8, pp. 320, 470: no. 1057-01).

Köcke (p. 143) refers to a variant reverse for this medal illustrated in Bernhart, M., Die Münchener Medaillenkunst der Gegenwart, 1917, pl. 54: 365, but this is a misunderstanding.  The reverse of the medal shown in Bernhart's image 365 is in fact the reverse of image 367, depicting a Black Rhinoceros on the obverse.  Both sides of the rhinoceros medal are shown and labeled in Heidemann (p. 470: 1057-05) Vs and 1057-05) Rs). 
 
Most descriptions of this medal label the bird as a "Harpyie" (i.e. Harpy Eagle Harpia harpyia), but that is clearly not the species depicted.  It is, rather, a generic hawk-eagle or another crested eagle-like raptor, but it is impossible to be more accurate.

The Verein Zoologischer Garten München e.V. [eingetragener Verein] (Association of the Zoological Garden, Munich, registered association) was founded in February 1905, and opened the Zoo to the public 1 August 1911.  In 1909 and 1910, Arthur Storch designed a series of eleven medals of various sizes, depicting different animals, to commemorate the inauguration.  The present medal is one of the largest of the group.
« Last Edit: March 29, 2020, 10:22:26 AM by Haarmann »