Featured Plaster medallion form...what is it?

Discussion in 'Antique Discussion' started by Bev aka thelmasstuff, Jan 12, 2026 at 9:49 AM.

  1. Bev aka thelmasstuff

    Bev aka thelmasstuff Colored pencil artist extraordinaire ;)

    I posted this long ago but there are some new folks here so I'm trying again. Best I can come up with is that it's a plaster original to be made into a mold for a medallion. It's a boy playing in a park, two adult figures, the Eiffel Tower and a quote from a poem titled Ash Wednesday by TS Eliot and Montmorency at the top. I've tried every combination of these and can't find any identification. It's certainly an oddity.

    IMG_4692 copy.jpg IMG_4693 copy.jpg
     
  2. daveydempsey

    daveydempsey Moderator Moderator

    AI says

    This is a wax seal impression, potentially of Jean IV the Valliant, Duke of Brittany.The design appears to be a commemorative medallion or paperweight based on the original seal.
    • The text around the edge is in French, reading "RETURN AGAIN THERE TREES FLOW".
    • The scene depicts figures, possibly related to a town hall or school built during the WWI era.
    • The original seal dates back to the 14th century (1341-1399)
     
    Houseful and i need help like this.
  3. Debora

    Debora Well-Known Member

    Fabulous! Pure gobbledegook.

    Debora
     
  4. Debora

    Debora Well-Known Member

    What an odd combination of imagery. The poem was published in 1930 but the child is playing with what appears to be a post-World War II car and her silhouette supports that period too. 1960s if I'm seeing what I think I'm seeing.

    Debora

    Screenshot 2026-01-12 at 8.00.42 AM.jpeg
     
    Last edited: Jan 12, 2026 at 11:07 AM
    kentworld likes this.
  5. Any Jewelry

    Any Jewelry Well-Known Member

    It could be a 70s car.
     
  6. Debora

    Debora Well-Known Member

    Yes, with the long tail. But I'd expect her dress to be a tad shorter and a bit more boxy. And his trousers a bit wider.

    Debora
     
  7. Bronwen

    Bronwen Well-Known Member

    Think it is what it is, a plaster impression. Best guess: a souvenir of Montmorency Park in Quebec. The words are clearly taken from Eliot's Ash Wednesday, but are not a direct quotation, cobbled together from "Because I cannot hope to turn again" and "There, where trees flower, and springs flow, for there is nothing again".

    The child might have a tortoise:

    upload_2026-1-12_17-29-17.png
     
  8. komokwa

    komokwa The Truth is out there...!

    toy car......... imo
     
  9. Bronwen

    Bronwen Well-Known Member

    upload_2026-1-12_17-43-29.png

    If I'm correct that it's from the park, why would it depict itself as a place where your kid could play with a car? They could do that at home.
     
  10. Debora

    Debora Well-Known Member

    Bronwen likes this.
  11. komokwa

    komokwa The Truth is out there...!

    Ohhh , that kind of turtle ...;)
     
    Bronwen likes this.
  12. Bronwen

    Bronwen Well-Known Member

    I did say 'tortoise'. :turtle::turtle::turtle::turtle:
     
    komokwa likes this.
  13. komokwa

    komokwa The Truth is out there...!

    Ohhhhh, that kind of tortoise !!:playful:
     
    Bronwen likes this.
  14. Bronwen

    Bronwen Well-Known Member

    Possible, of course. The Eiffel Tower would certainly suggest that. I don't understand why either location would use English, unless it came with different languages, geared to tourists from various places. That's the one thing I feel sure of, that it's a souvenir, always meant to be just like that, not the preliminary state of anything.
     
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