Prince of Mantua and Montferrat's Prize Medal
Medal
1879 (made)
1879 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This gilded bronze medal, the Prince of Mantua and Montferrat's Prize Medal, is made by Baddeley Bros., London in 1879.
Hawkins (see biblio) outlines the extraordinary career of Charles Otley Groom Napier (1839-1894) and the background to this medal. Groom Napier, who laid claim to the title of Prince of Mantua and Montferrat through his mother's family, wrote about and promoted teetotalism, vegetarianism, evangelism and the natural and applied sciences. He was evidently also a fantasist on a grand scale. This medal forms part of a series issued for him in 1879, which he bestowed (by post) on various eminent men. These medals are identical except for the name of the recipient: some including Gladstone, refused the honour.
The present medal was evidently intended for John Ruskin, but his reaction is unknown. Groom Napier claimed that he was reviving a 'Mantua & Montferrat Medal Fund' which had been created by his ancestor Lodovico Gonzaga in the 14th century, to confer recognition on men eminent in arts, letters and science.
Hawkins (see biblio) outlines the extraordinary career of Charles Otley Groom Napier (1839-1894) and the background to this medal. Groom Napier, who laid claim to the title of Prince of Mantua and Montferrat through his mother's family, wrote about and promoted teetotalism, vegetarianism, evangelism and the natural and applied sciences. He was evidently also a fantasist on a grand scale. This medal forms part of a series issued for him in 1879, which he bestowed (by post) on various eminent men. These medals are identical except for the name of the recipient: some including Gladstone, refused the honour.
The present medal was evidently intended for John Ruskin, but his reaction is unknown. Groom Napier claimed that he was reviving a 'Mantua & Montferrat Medal Fund' which had been created by his ancestor Lodovico Gonzaga in the 14th century, to confer recognition on men eminent in arts, letters and science.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Prince of Mantua and Montferrat's Prize Medal (generic title) |
| Materials and techniques | Gilded bronze |
| Brief description | Medal, Bronze gilt, Prince of Mantua and Montferrat's Prize Medal, by Beddeley Bros., English (London), 1879 |
| Physical description | Obverse: Bust of bearded man in contemporary dress, facing left and signed under the shoulder. Inscription. Reverse: Beneath a ribbon inscribed 'Fides' [faith] is set a coronet, from which depends the collar of an order, which is inscribed. Within the collar another inscription. |
| Dimensions |
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| Marks and inscriptions |
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| Object history | Given by Professor J. Hull Grundy and Mrs. Ann Hull Grundy, in 1980. |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Summary | This gilded bronze medal, the Prince of Mantua and Montferrat's Prize Medal, is made by Baddeley Bros., London in 1879. Hawkins (see biblio) outlines the extraordinary career of Charles Otley Groom Napier (1839-1894) and the background to this medal. Groom Napier, who laid claim to the title of Prince of Mantua and Montferrat through his mother's family, wrote about and promoted teetotalism, vegetarianism, evangelism and the natural and applied sciences. He was evidently also a fantasist on a grand scale. This medal forms part of a series issued for him in 1879, which he bestowed (by post) on various eminent men. These medals are identical except for the name of the recipient: some including Gladstone, refused the honour. The present medal was evidently intended for John Ruskin, but his reaction is unknown. Groom Napier claimed that he was reviving a 'Mantua & Montferrat Medal Fund' which had been created by his ancestor Lodovico Gonzaga in the 14th century, to confer recognition on men eminent in arts, letters and science. |
| Bibliographic references |
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| Collection | |
| Accession number | A.72-1980 |
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| Record created | June 24, 2009 |
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