1779 (ca. 1890s) Benjamin Franklin Portrait Medallion. Bare Head Left, Latin Legend. By Émile Balon, after Jean Baptiste Nini. Margolis-26, Baiardi-Sibille 97, for type, Greenslet GM-7, Storelli-LXVIII, for type, Villers-46, for type. Terracotta.129.4 mm. Obverse with incuse signature I. B. / NINI F. on leftmost truncation; coat of arms on right truncation. Secondary signature and date NINI F 1779 below, in relief. ERIPUIT COELO FULMEN SCEPTRUMQUE TIRANNIS around, separated by alternating lightning rods, lightning bolts and the two combined. With raised plain self-framing border. No suspension hole is visible, though much of the edge is unobstructed by the framing. Straight edges finished with gently rounded rims.<p>Deep tan terracotta with gentle orange seeming to glow in outline around the motifs. Slightly matte surfaces as typical of the Balon works, but smoother than some seen and very nicely made. Some of the finer elements are relatively weak, as in Ninis signatures, and the 1778 date that should be on the truncation is all but missing here. This type is not a Nini original, but is probably a product of Émile Balons pottery works; it was likely produced from copy molds made from one of Ninis genuine medallions, as suggested by the diameter. The Nini originals of this type are generally around 160 mm. Shrinkage from producing a copy mold, then a secondary shrinkage from making the medallion, each being close to 10%, results in almost exactly the diameter seen here. Housed in a wooden frame with gilt ornamental center that appears to be older than the work itself, perhaps a reuse of older framing parts. The entire piece is about 11.75 inches in diameter. Partial label of M.H. Hartmann Artists Materials, New York on the back, and with a small sticker dated May 19, 1944 and numbered 130. This could be an old auction tag.<p>Though not an original Nini, the portrait and overall artistic composition is of his hand and of the late 1770s. This type from the Balon pottery works is very scarcely seen and very desirable. Two of these in our recent sale of the Margolis Collection realized $3,120 and $4,320, respectively.
