103015 | GREAT BRITAIN & PORTUGAL. "Olhão" burnt cork Medal.

103015  |  GREAT BRITAIN & PORTUGAL. "Olhão" burnt cork Medal. Issued 2005 (102mm, 19.15 g). By Stuart Frost for the British Art Medal Society.

 

Torus-shaped cork, with hand-burnt concentric triangular patterns upon the front and back.

 

The Medal 47, p. 102. As Made. Very rare, and from an output of just 14 pieces. One of the more difficult and exotic medals of the entire series.

 

In The Medal 47 (Autumn 2005), Ron Dutton writes about this medal's artist, Stuart Frost, mentioning that "...now living in the Algarve in Portugal, Frost is surrounded by cork, and this was the material he has chosen for his recent works. Whereas cork may be more commonly known to many as the prelude to a sensation of delight through the senses of taste and smell, here the artist's ingenious approach has led to a work that provides an experience very different from the usual enjoyment of a medal. At first sight the viewer is conscious of the decorated surface and the rhythmic turn of the design around the central void, but then the natural anticipation of how it will be to hold and feel the medal explodes at the first touch, with the unexpected weight giving a heightened tactile experience. The senses are triggered by soft, firm and weightless sensations not usually associated with this art form. Here lies the value of having an open mind towards what can be expected from the art of the medal." The writeup for this offering later in the same issue of The Medal presents the artist's own words, with him writing that "...the direct translation from the Portuguese is "Eyes of water" (Olhos de agua), which refers to water-wells. The word comes from the Arabic "Al-hain," from the time when this region of Portugal [the Algarve] was occupied by the Arabs. it describes a series of wells that stood proud above the incoming tide and appeared as eyes in the sea."

 

Upload: 16 June 2025.

 

Sorry, this item is no longer available.