M061
Bronze, UNC, verdigris on man’s back and horse’s haunch
62 mm (2-1/2”), 114 grams
HISTORY: In 1972, the Medallic Art Company moved from New York to their unique, modern new home in Danbury, Connecticut. The accomplished Connecticut sculptor, author, and teacher Frank Eliscu was commissioned to create its Dedication Medal. The following obverse and reverse excerpts are taken from the original dedication pamphlet.
OBVERSE: “... three elements appear on the obverse: man, the artist, harnessing the elusive Pegasus by the use of tools, in this case the ropes or straps intertwined among the two figures. Man reaches for the moment of inspiration, as the straps entwine his arms and body. The open-mouthed Pegasus is caught for a fleeting instant only, momentarily haltered while man captures the idea he is seeking.”
REVERSE: “The reverse bears five lines of lettering, company name and location, superimposed over a wheel and six human figures. The symbology of this side is also apt. The figures represent the people—the workers—who are required for the production of medals: an artist holding aloft a model, a designer with drawing pad, a craftsman lifting a pattern or mold, a secretary, an administrator, and a salesman with briefcase in hand. … The spokes of the wheel guide the viewer’s eye toward the center axis and the company trademark, the familiar ‘French Head’ (named after famed American medalist and sculptor Daniel Chester French). The use of the trademark, according to the medal’s designer, represents medallic quality, while the gear wheel represents technical perfection.”
EDGE: The bottom edge is engraved “MEDALLIC ART CO. N.Y BRONZE.”