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首席收藏网 > 数据中心 > Stack's Bowers and Ponterio > SBP2020年3月巴尔地摩#1-美国钱币

Lot:30 1777 (1894) Benjamin Franklin With Spectacles Medallion Aftercast Mould. Terra Cotta. 101 mm, 16 mm

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世界钱币

USD 2500

SBP2020年3月巴尔地摩#1-美国钱币

2020-03-19 01:00:00

2020-03-19 06:00:00

USD 1140

SBP

成交

1777 (1894) Benjamin Franklin With Spectacles Medallion Aftercast Mould. Terra Cotta. 101 mm, 16 mm thick. 187.53 grams. By Emile Balon after Jean-Baptiste Nini. Margolis Type 8 var, Greenslet GM-6 var. Virtually As Made. Obv: Incluse impression of bespectacled Franklin bust facing right in his signature fur cap. The truncation bears the name NINI and the date 1777 in retrograde, along with Ninis personal coat of arms. Rev: Blank with BALON / 1894 etched at 12 oclock and BENJAMIN / FRANKLIN written in pencil below center. A significant counterpart to the famed Spectacles medallions produced by Emile Balon, which were adapted from the historic original by Italian artist Jean Baptiste Nini. The surfaces are pale peach in hue, appearing closer to tan than to pink. Subtle gray patina hides in the incuse recesses of Franklins portrait, though the complexion remains smooth and free from notable handling mark. Scattered traces of grainy texture are mostly isolated to the back of the mould and are as-made. Near 12 oclock on the back is signed BALON / 1894 and BENJAMIN / FRANKLIN is written in pencil just below center. This piece is significant as one of only about 10 pieces signed and dated by Balon, serving as a significant tool in unraveling the complex world of Nini medals and their related creations. Balons Spectacles medallions have always been highly prized by specialists, granting access to Ninis unique original impounded in the Musée des Beaux-Arts de Blois. At 101 mm, this mould sports virtually the same diameter as the original medallion but does not match up to any reported aftercasts by Balon, which are typically much smaller at 89 mm to 92 mm. Late specialist Richard Margolis remarks in <em>Benjamin Franklin in Terra Cotta</em> (2015) that "Balon is not definitely known to have made actual-size copies of any of Ninis Franklin portraits," which raises questions about the theoretical medallions cast from this actual-size mould.These Spectacles medallion aftercasts were evidently very popular during Balons lifetime and were offered to his customers in no less than 14 different letters, usually at 20 francs but occasionally for 15 or 18 francs each. Margolis is somewhat critical of these aftercast medallions, mentioning that the "workmanship is inferior, not just in comparison to Ninis original medallions, but also to Balons own actual-size copies of various Nini medallions." He goes on to explain that "Balon did not begin with an original Nini mould" for his Spectacles medallions and instead "must have used the unique medallion at Blois to prepare a mould from which [his] medallions were cast," a process known as <em>surmoulage</em>. It is tempting to suggest that this mould is precisely the master mould that Margolis is referring to, though such an attribution is overzealous. Even so, the present mould offers remarkable detail and will surely satisfy the collector in pursuit of ultimate rarity in the Franklin series. From the Richard Hoover Collection.

价格参考 Price Guide