101121 | CHILE. Lalique silver Plaque.

101121  |  CHILE. Silver Plaque. Issued 1910. Commemorating the centennial of Chilean Independence (42x60mm, 76.25 g, 12h). By R. Lalique.

 

Personification of Chile, holding branch, standing facing within overgrown wheat fields; flowers below; in three lines in exergue, REPUBLICA DE CHILE / PRIMER / CENTENARIO / National flag over sunburst; mountainscape in background; coat-of-arms below. Edge: Some scuffs and scratches on one edge; on another, ARGENT between two hallmarks.

 

Mint State. Deeply toned, with some underlying brilliance. A fairly rare and desirable piece, especially in silver; compare to an inferior example in bronze in Baldwin's 101 (28 September 2016), lot 3795, which realized a hammer of £300 [plus buyer's fee]).

 

René Lalique was a famous French artist most known for his glass art during the Art Nouveau period, creating pieces such as perfume bottles, jewelry, chandeliers, and even automobile hood ornaments. A minor subset of his work was in the field of medallic art, of which there is only a small representation. The present piece commemorates the 100th anniversary of Chilean independence, and features Lalique's powerful yet elegant style for this important specimen of South American exonumia.

 

Sorry, this item is no longer available.