REVIEW: THE SILICH COLLECTION OF HISTORICAL & ART MEDALS: PART 1: 6 MARCH

The grand French tradition of honouring artistic, cultural, scientific and economic achievements with elaborate medals paid off in this sale, which led with several notable examples that left their estimates behind.

As the preview noted, David Nicholas Silich (1944-2018) amassed an extraordinary collection, and this was the first of eight auctions that Noonans will hold over the next four years to disperse work by over 900 artists, medallists and sculptors: in total around 3,500 pieces.

 

The auction was 100% sold – the fourth white glove sale for the Coin department this year, with only nine weeks gone so far. Add to that a tally of 121 different buyers from all over the globe for this single sale and the significance of the collection is easy to see.

The honours here went to a silver plaque struck for the Exposition Universelle, Paris, 1900. Designed by J.-E. Roiné after P.-A. Besnard for the Société des Amis de la Médaille Française, the obverse depicts La France welcoming and crowning Genius of the Old and New Worlds. A stunning aerial view of Paris from the Pont Alexandre III to the Eiffel Tower graces the reverse above the legend EXPOSITION UNIVERSELLE MDCCCC. At 69 x 55mm, and weighing in at 111.99g, this very fine and rare piece was pitched at £600-800 but sold for four times the top estimate at £3,200.

Created for the same Société nine years later and issued in 1912 was Les Joyaux [The Jewels] or Les Parures [Sets of Jewels], a silver medal by Paul-Célestin Grand’homme produced in an edition of 131, of which 45 were silver. Showing two women seated, trying on jewellery, the reverse depicts a view of two women admiring roses, with a rose-bush behind. A large medal at 61mm in diameter and weighing 96.20g, it is another very fine and very rare medal. Estimated at £400-600, it sold for £2,000.

Dating to 1934 and inspired by the Art Deco style of the times was a medal cast to mark the inauguration of the Port Jerôme oil refinery located by the Seine near Le Havre. It had been built over the previous five years by the Rockefeller’s Standard Oil company (later Esso) after the French government ruled that the country should not rely entirely on refined imports but should have the facilities to refine crude oil itself.

The refinery was the first in Europe to employ the process of purifying lubricating oils using phenol. It was linked to the port of Le Havre, where oil tankers landed, by a 35km pipeline. In 1940 the refinery was partly destroyed, but it was rebuilt after the War.

The creation of the refinery also led to the establishment of a garden city next to the site; both remain today.

Such an important moment in the country’s industrial development had to be celebrated with a memorable artwork, and Hungarian-born Gustave Miklos (1888-1967) took the French commission.

The result was a cast bronze view of the refinery, the reverse depicting a standing helmeted figure appearing out of the flame, named (L. Brindeau). The 115 x 64mm piece was extremely fine and very rare. It had been expected to fetch £600-800 but went on to sell for £1,500.

Among the other highlights was a cast gilt-bronze openwork plaque by the Iranian/Canadian artist Parviz Tanavoli. Created in 2006 for the British Art Medal Society, Hands and Grille was a striking piece of modern miniature sculpture inspired by Shi’ite Muslims who visit shrines, putting their hands on the grilles, saying their vows, and praying and talking to their imam. The reverse indicated the view across the tomb, seeing on the opposite side of the grille all the fingers of those praying.

A very rare piece guided at £200-400, it took a winning bid of £2,000.