Author Topic: "Archaic warrior / St Christopher  (Read 17233 times)

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  • Margit Valsassina*.  1917. 

    "Archaic warrior" (obverse) / "St Christopher" (reverse).  Hexagonal cast iron, blackened, 69.7 x 60.0 mm, 56.43 g, delicately oxidized patina.  Vorzüglich (extremely fine), slight abrasions to blackening.

    Obverse: On raised ground-line exergue, archaic Greek warrior in corselet and crested helmet striding to left alongside bridled horse; in left hand diagonal lance and round shield with ship motif; right hand trailing behind, dragging crocodile (dragon?) skin; two-line inscription WENN UNS NICHTS MEHR ÜBRIG BLIEB / SO BLIEB UNS DOCH EIN SCHWERT (if nothing more remained to us / there yet remained a sword) in exergue; poet's name E. v. —— GEIBEL beneath inscription, left and right, respectively; year date 19 [Iron Cross] 17 at lowest point of hexagon; artist's monogram interlaced MV lower left above exergue; thin raised rim. 

    Reverse: Above raised ground-line exergue, robed St Christopher with staff exits river on stepping stones to right, frame bent under the weight of haloed Christ Child on  shoulders pointing right; diagonally descending line, left to right, across background; two-line inscription WENN DIE NOT NICHT EISEN BRICHT / DAS EISEN BRICHT DIE NOT (if distress breaks not the iron / the iron shall break distress) in exergue; poet's name E. v. —— GEIBEL beneath inscription, left and right, respectively; year date 19 [Iron Cross] 17 at lowest point of hexagon; artist's monogram interlaced MV lower right on stone above exergue; thin raised rim.



    Margit Valsassina*.  1917.  "Archaic warrior".  Hexagonal single-sided cast iron, blackened, 111.37 x 90.77 mm, 183.27 g.  Integral suspension hanger at top point of hexagon.  Vorzüglich (extremely fine).

    Image, inscriptions, and signature as above description obverse, but upper edge with double-stepped raised border rim, outer and wider band contiguous with raised exergue.  (There also exists a single-sided companion piece of St Christopher image, also with hanger.) 

    Cf: Wipplinger, Eva.  1992.  Medaillenkünstlerinnen in Deutschland.  Staatliche Galerie Moritzburg Halle, p. 128 (ancient warrior; single-sided example with integral hanger).

    Cf: Klose, Dietrich O. A.  2016.  Europas Verderben 1914 1918: Deutsche und österreichische Medaillen auf den Ersten Weltkrieg,  p. 62: 4.6 (two single-sided plaquettes with integral hangers treated under same entry).

    *Pseudonym of sculptress Margarethe Klementine Maria von Österreich, Fürstin (Princess) v. Thurn und Taxis (1870 - 1955.

    Inscriptions drawn from a verse of "Kriegslied" (war song) by Emanuel von Geibel (1815 - 1884): Und wenn uns nichts mehr übrig blieb, / So blieb uns doch ein Schwert, / Das zorngemut mit scharfem Hieb / Dem Trutz des Fremdlings wehrt; / So blieb die Schlacht als letzt' Gericht / Auf Leben und auf Tod; / Und wenn die Not nicht Eisen bricht, / Das Eisen bricht die Not. (And if not more remained to us, / There yet remained a sword, / That with sharp and wrathful blow / Resists the malice of the foe; / So battle stayed as final judge / Over life and death; / And if distress then breaks not iron / The iron shall break distress - my (un-poetic) translation).
"Archaic warrior / St Christopher
« on: April 11, 2020, 03:19:23 AM »

Margit Valsassina*.  1917. 

"Archaic warrior" (obverse) / "St Christopher" (reverse).  Hexagonal cast iron, blackened, 69.7 x 60.0 mm, 56.43 g, delicately oxidized patina.  Vorzüglich (extremely fine), slight abrasions to blackening.

Obverse: On raised ground-line exergue, archaic Greek warrior in corselet and crested helmet striding to left alongside bridled horse; in left hand diagonal lance and round shield with ship motif; right hand trailing behind, dragging crocodile (dragon?) skin; two-line inscription WENN UNS NICHTS MEHR ÜBRIG BLIEB / SO BLIEB UNS DOCH EIN SCHWERT (if nothing more remained to us / there yet remained a sword) in exergue; poet's name E. v. —— GEIBEL beneath inscription, left and right, respectively; year date 19 [Iron Cross] 17 at lowest point of hexagon; artist's monogram interlaced MV lower left above exergue; thin raised rim. 

Reverse: Above raised ground-line exergue, robed St Christopher with staff exits river on stepping stones to right, frame bent under the weight of haloed Christ Child on  shoulders pointing right; diagonally descending line, left to right, across background; two-line inscription WENN DIE NOT NICHT EISEN BRICHT / DAS EISEN BRICHT DIE NOT (if distress breaks not the iron / the iron shall break distress) in exergue; poet's name E. v. —— GEIBEL beneath inscription, left and right, respectively; year date 19 [Iron Cross] 17 at lowest point of hexagon; artist's monogram interlaced MV lower right on stone above exergue; thin raised rim.



Margit Valsassina*.  1917.  "Archaic warrior".  Hexagonal single-sided cast iron, blackened, 111.37 x 90.77 mm, 183.27 g.  Integral suspension hanger at top point of hexagon.  Vorzüglich (extremely fine).

Image, inscriptions, and signature as above description obverse, but upper edge with double-stepped raised border rim, outer and wider band contiguous with raised exergue.  (There also exists a single-sided companion piece of St Christopher image, also with hanger.) 

Cf: Wipplinger, Eva.  1992.  Medaillenkünstlerinnen in Deutschland.  Staatliche Galerie Moritzburg Halle, p. 128 (ancient warrior; single-sided example with integral hanger).

Cf: Klose, Dietrich O. A.  2016.  Europas Verderben 1914 1918: Deutsche und österreichische Medaillen auf den Ersten Weltkrieg,  p. 62: 4.6 (two single-sided plaquettes with integral hangers treated under same entry).

*Pseudonym of sculptress Margarethe Klementine Maria von Österreich, Fürstin (Princess) v. Thurn und Taxis (1870 - 1955.

Inscriptions drawn from a verse of "Kriegslied" (war song) by Emanuel von Geibel (1815 - 1884): Und wenn uns nichts mehr übrig blieb, / So blieb uns doch ein Schwert, / Das zorngemut mit scharfem Hieb / Dem Trutz des Fremdlings wehrt; / So blieb die Schlacht als letzt' Gericht / Auf Leben und auf Tod; / Und wenn die Not nicht Eisen bricht, / Das Eisen bricht die Not. (And if not more remained to us, / There yet remained a sword, / That with sharp and wrathful blow / Resists the malice of the foe; / So battle stayed as final judge / Over life and death; / And if distress then breaks not iron / The iron shall break distress - my (un-poetic) translation).
« Last Edit: April 11, 2020, 09:01:22 PM by Haarmann »