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Angelo Mariani, celebrating the use of coca leaf in Vin Mariani, proprietory medicine

Plaquette
ca. 1908 (made)
Artist/Maker
Patriarche, Louis (medallist)
Place of origin
France (made)

This medal depicts a bottle of Coca Mariani beneath an oak tree and a coca plant. On the reverse is Mariani himself offering his elixir to a young naked boy, seated below a tree. Angelo Mariani (1838-1914) 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
Titles
  • Angelo Mariani, celebrating the use of coca leaf in Vin Mariani, proprietory medicine (generic title)
  • La force, la santé par le vin Mariani
Materials and techniques
Bronze
Bronze
Brief description
Angelo Mariani, celebrating the use of coca leaf in the Vin Mariani, proprietory medicine, struck bronze, by Louis Patriarche, French, about 1908.
Physical description
Obverse: A bottle of COCA MARIANI, with 'Vin tonique Mariani' on its label, is flanked at the left by an oak tree and by a coca plant at the right. LA FORCE (strength) at the left of the bottle opposite LA SANTÉ (Health) at the right. The bottle stands on a ledge beneath which appears PAR LE/VIN MARIANI (Vin Mariani larger size).
Reverse: Angelo Mariani is shown as a standing, classically-draped figure offering a bottle of Vin Mariani to a naked boy who is seated at the foot of a tree. Both figures raised on a ledge. Inscribed.
Dimensions
  • Height: 50.1cm
  • Width: 38.2cm
Marks and inscriptions
  • 'Vin tonique Mariani' (obverse, at the label of the bottle)
  • 'LA FORCE' [and] 'LA SANTE' (obverse, at the left of the bottle and opposite at the right)
  • 'PAR LE/VIN MARIANI' (obverse, on the ledge.)
  • 'L. PATRIACHE' (reverse, at bottom left)
Object history
Given by Henry Marshall, in 1976.
Subjects depicted
Child
Coca
Tree
Vin Mariani
Mariani, Angelo
Summary
This medal depicts a bottle of Coca Mariani beneath an oak tree and a coca plant. On the reverse is Mariani himself offering his elixir to a young naked boy, seated below a tree. Angelo Mariani (1838-1914) 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, p. 429 and VIII, Supplemt, 1923, p. 116
  • 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. 15
Collection
Sculpture Collection
Accession number
A.9-1976

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Record createdJune 24, 2009
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O350091/angelo-mariani-celebrating-the-use-plaquette-patriarche-louis/
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