GOETZ: 1916 Cast Silver Birth Medal

[Bronzemonger]

K336, GERTRAUD MARGARETE GOETZ, 1916, Cast Silver, 60mm, 60.0g., incuse edge-punch “KGoeTz” at 7 o’clock, Gussfrisch, RRR in silver.

Commemorative birth medal for the oldest daughter of the artist, Gertraud Margarete Goetz born April 22, 1916.

Obverse: Newborn being bathed in a German helmet filled with heated water from diesel torches below. Perimeter displays the 12 astrological signs while other astrological signs significant to her birth time and place are placed around the bathing baby.

Reverse: Inscription within pearled border reads; "In the year 1916 during World War I on April 22 the Saturday
after Good Friday at 7:30 p.m. was born Gertraud Margarete Goetz and was christened at St.Joseph church accompanied by the wishes for God s blessing, M.G.-K.G. Inscription in periphery "Above all my child be faithful and true." The Lamb of God rests bottom center over the Munich city shield with robed Munich child.

 

[jeggy]

This is a very nice piece, which has this kind of distance to the big politics issues we see on most of Goetz medals.

 

[Bronzemonger]

Thanks Jeggy... Actually, of the 750+ medal designs Goetz created, there are far more without political themes than there are that have them. I think Goetz' satirical series gets too much attention as his other works, especially his Renaissance-like portrait medals, are far superior in design and quality than his military or political pieces.

I will show some of these pieces in the near future as they are my favorites of my collection...especially his 25th anniversary portrait medals of his family.