As a good start to the New Year I recently picked up this medal for merit for the General Spring (Art Society) Exhibition in Vienna, 1907.
This biennial has existed for as long as the Kunstverein itself from its founding in 1832, first as a spring exhibition and later from 1907 on, as the additional fall exhibition that has continued to this day.
The medal itself is highly vaulted and measures a good size at 58 x 58mm. Additionally the crown device is another 25mm high and 34 mm wide. The two pieces are attached by a small, working hinge located at the base of the crown. The crown and medal retain almost 100% of their original gilding and the enameling to the medal is all there but shows some very minor spidering to small areas of the finish. Luckily there are no missing pieces of glass. This decorative award is nicely stamped on the reverse, "Gesetzlich Geschützt," and below that it is maker-marked, "BSW," inside their trademark upside-down clover pattern. These initials stand for "Brüder Schneider Wien, AG, VI/56, Bürgerspitalgasse." This company is known for its fine quality medals and will be recognizable to both Austrian and German Imperial and Third Reich collectors.
Hope you might enjoy this fine piece of workmanship.
A good collecting year to all in 2014!
Bill
