Medal with relief profile of ballerina Marie Taglioni (1804-1884). Silver metal.

Silver metal medal with relief portrait of female head in profile to left, with a bold floral wreath on the hair which is braided around the falling curls to the back of the head. Engraved around lower edge "MARIA TAGLIONI" and on edge "O22" and stamped "NW999"

Cyril W. Beaumont Bequest

There is no indication whether this medal is contemporary with Taglioini or whether it came to Cyril Beaumont as part of the Margaret Rolfe memorabilia. The profile is certainly not the most flattering image of Taglioni and seems to represent her towards the end of her dancing career.
A collection of Taglioni memorabilia was amassed by Margaret Rolfe, the granddaughter of Taglioni's closest friend in London, Mrs Boggs Rolfe; she attended Taglioni's dancing classes and received many gifts of Taglioni memorabilia, both from Taglioni herself and from her grandmother. She kept these, with a series of related notes, in various boxes and annotated envelopes (filed separately). These she passed to Cyril Beaumont, probably for the London Archives of the Dance (a number of the objects were referred to in "The London Archives of the Dance and some of its Treasures" by Cyril Beaumont, Ballet Annual, first issue, Adam & Charles Black, London, 1947, p110); the Archives never achieved an independent home and part of the collection, including the Taglioni memorabilia, was stored with Cyril Beaumont, where it became inextricably mixed with his own collection and came to the Museum as part of the Cyril Beaumont Bequest.

S.804-2001