Medal, polished and matte steel and perspex, the Prince of Wales medal - Homes and Gardens Classic Design Awards, by Wendy Ramshaw, Britain, 2000

Square medal made from layers of stainless steel and acrylic.

Historical significance: Works by Wendy Ramshaw have been associated with the V&A since 1976, on large and small scale objects, both in the field of jewellery and public art.
With the Prince of Wales Medal, by taking her inspiration from the glass and steel architecture of the Crystal Palace, Ramshaw created a design that relates to the origins of the V&A at the Great Exhibition in 1851. This medal shows an unusual aspect of Ramshaw's creative output (the award or medal) yet the shape, material and technique, which present an original take on the award medal, are all characteristic of Ramshaw's creations in metal and glass (here acrylic). Works by Wendy Ramshaw have been associated with the V&A since 1976, on large and small scale objects, both in the field of jewellery and public art.

This medal was commissioned to the artist by Homes and Gardens and V&A Enterprises in 2000, to be presented by the Prince of Wales to mark his special choice in the Award for British Classic Contemporary Design.
In the artist's words, 'the Prince, the sponsors and the museum all needed to be represented on the medal. The format of the medal is reminiscent of a computer disk holding a store of interrelated information and memory. (...) The medal is constructed as a series of layers, each one conveying a different message.' (Ramshaw, 2004, p. 90).

This medal was commissioned for the Homes and Gardens / V&A Classic Designs Awards. The acrylic and stainless steel layers and delicately etched architectural profile evoke the glass and steel architecture of the Crystal Palace, the building that hosted the Great Exhibition in 1851, and thus relate to the origins of the V&A.

A.5:1-2010