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103009 | GREAT BRITAIN. "The Man Who Planted Trees" cast bronze Medal.

$435.00Price
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    103009  |  GREAT BRITAIN. "The Man Who Planted Trees" cast bronze Medal. Issued 1991 (66mm, 194.00 g, 8h). By Nicola d'Alton Moss for the British Art Medal Society.

     

    ELZÉARD / BOUFFIER, Elzéard Bouffier planting acorns along sun-baked landscape; all in concave form to give emphasis to the poverty stricken land // "The Man Who Planted Trees," the result of his efforts: a happy, flourishing land; all in convex form to give rise to the richness of the forest. Edge: Plain.

     

    Attwood 77; The Medal 19 (Autumn 1991), p. 117. As Made. Olive-brown surfaces, with some elegant dusty green for highlights. From an output of just 30 pieces.

     

    Born in High Wycombe northwest of London, Nicola d'Alton Moss was the first non-American to sculpt a medal for the Society of Medalists series, when her design for the Charles Darwin medal was issued in 1989 (the society having issued medals since 1930). In 1996, she became the youngest recipient of the American Numismatic Society's prestigious J. Sanford Saltus Award given "for lifetime achievement in medallic art." For this particular medal along with its artist, the writeup in the Autumn 1991 issue of The Medal mentions that "...the work of this young British sculptor and medallist will be familiar to BAMS members. This is the second medal she has produced for the Society, the first being the popular George and the Dragon of 1986. In his book about Elzéard Bouffier, 'The Man who planted trees,' Jean Giono writes: 'It was his opinion that this land was dying for want of trees ... he had resolved to remedy this state of affairs.' Moss writes: 'The first time I heard the story of Bouffier I was in a large room filled with silent people, listening all agog to an old man who told the tale of his travels and his chance meeting with Elzéard Bouffier. At the end of his talk he lifted himself slowly and painfully up from his chair, picked up a pot containing an oak seedling, and, lovingly entrusting the plant into the arms of a lady, asked her if she would plant it; the lady accepted with tears in her eyes, moved and inspired by the man's tale, as we all were. This wonderful story has influenced and inspired many people, so much so that trees are being planted and forests of great scale are being planned. Such people as Ron Greer, who this year won "The Times" and Radio 4 Environment Award for reforesting an area of the Grampians with broad-leaved trees, have been directly influenced. The story, though fictitious, is so evocative that we will the story to become true. The obverse of the medal shows a stark sun-baked landscape with Elzéard Bouffier planting acorns. The border bears his name in relief, punctuated by an acorn and a beech nut seal. The centre is concave in form to give emphasis to the poverty stricken. The reverse shows the happy flourishing land that resulted from his efforts. This is modelled on a convex form to give rise to the richness of the forest.'"

     

    Upload: 19 May 2025.

     

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