Angelo Mariani and the use of coca leaf in Vin Mariani, proprietory medicine thumbnail 1
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Angelo Mariani and the use of coca leaf in Vin Mariani, proprietory medicine

Plaquette
1905 (made)
Artist/Maker
Mouchon, Louis Eugène (medallist)
Place of origin
France (made)

This medal depicts the portrait of Angelo Mariani seated in his laboratory. Mariani was a French chemist, most well known for the invention of the first cocawine, Vin Mariani in 1863. He imported a huge amount of coca leaves, made an extract and used it for many products. Mariani's coca wine, Vin Mariani, made him famous and wealthy. This tonic wine is treated as the Coca Cola progenitor.
Oscar Roty (1846-1911) also celebrates Vin Mariani in a similar style and manner on a medal. His reverse would show a Nymph with the sick Cupid.

Object details

Categories
Coins & Medals
Plaques & Plaquettes
Portraits
Sculpture
Object type
Plaquette
TitleAngelo Mariani and the use of coca leaf in Vin Mariani, proprietory medicine (generic title)
Materials and techniques
Bronze
Bronze
Brief description
Angelo Mariani and the use of coca leaf in the Vin Mariani, proprietory medicine, struck bronze, by Louis-Eugène Mouchon, French, 20th century, 1905.
Physical description
Obverse: Profile, half-length portrait of Angelo Mariani, seated facing to right in his laboratory and surrounded by vessels and retorts. The bottle at the right has words inscribed.
Reverse: In a landscape setting coca is being extracted by a kneeling, naked South American female from the plant into a beaker held by a European seated male, facing right. Llamas are depicted in the middle distance between the two figures. Above a mountainous range, Apollo drives his chariot through the clouds. Inscribed.
Dimensions
  • Height: 52.2cm
  • Width: 37cm
Marks and inscriptions
  • 'COCA MARIANI PARIS / [in exergue] ANGELO MARIANI VULGARISATEUR DE LA COCA' / 'E. MOUCHON 1905' (obverse, on the bottle)
  • 'E. MOUCHON / [at base] BRONZE' (reverse)
Object history
Given by Henry Marshall, in 1976.

Historical significance: Oscar Roty (1846-1911) also celebrates Vin Mariani in a similar style and manner on a medal. His reverse would show a Nymph with the sick Cupid.
Subjects depicted
Landscape
Coca
Female Figure
Vin Mariani
Mariani, Angelo
Summary
This medal depicts the portrait of Angelo Mariani seated in his laboratory. Mariani was a French chemist, most well known for the invention of the first cocawine, Vin Mariani in 1863. He imported a huge amount of coca leaves, made an extract and used it for many products. Mariani's coca wine, Vin Mariani, made him famous and wealthy. This tonic wine is treated as the Coca Cola progenitor.
Oscar Roty (1846-1911) also celebrates Vin Mariani in a similar style and manner on a medal. His reverse would show a Nymph with the sick Cupid.
Bibliographic references
  • Forrer, L. Biographical Dictionary of Medallists, IV, London, 1909, pp. 173-179
  • Jones, Mark. The Art of the Medal. London, 1979, p. 123, pl. 326a and b
  • Vandenbrouck-Przybylski, Melanie, ' 'These should without delay be represented in our museum' Nineteenth- and twentieth-century French medals at the V&A', The Medal, No.61, Autumn 2012, pp. 21-37, fig. 14
Collection
Sculpture Collection
Accession number
A.8-1976

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Record createdJune 24, 2009
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O312185/angelo-mariani-and-the-use-plaquette-mouchon-louis-eugène/
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