Скачать или смотреть France – Rugby Bronze Plaque by R. Rasumny 1930

Object type: Award plaque / sports medal
Artist: R. Rasumny (signature visible at lower right on obverse)
Country: France
Date: circa 1930s
Discipline: Rugby Union
Material: Bronze (gilt finish)
Dimensions: 80 × 60 mm
Weight: 146 g
Shape: Rectangular
Orientation: Vertical
Edge: Plain, unmarked
Mount: None; designed for engraving or presentation
Condition: Extremely Fine, with warm patina and original matte gilt tone.
Design Description
Obverse:
A finely modelled rugby line-out scene depicting four players reaching for the ball mid-air, framed within a circular laurel wreath symbolizing athletic honour. Below, a blank scroll-shaped cartouche intended for engraving of the recipient’s name or event. The lower right bears the artist’s signature R. RASUMNY, while the initials F.R. at lower left denote Fédération de Rugby or Fonderie de la République (depending on production context). Stylized leaves and scrolls complete the design, showing strong Art Deco influence in line and relief.
Reverse:
Lightly worked matte surface with a floral sprig and a secondary uninscribed plaque area, echoing the obverse layout. Likely designed for engraving dedication text or award details.
Historical Context
This plaque belongs to a class of interwar French sports medals produced during the 1930s, when bronze award plaques became fashionable for regional and national competitions.
The sculptor René Rasumny (1889–1966) was one of France’s leading medallic artists of the era, known for his dynamic athletic scenes, precise anatomical modelling, and balanced compositions. His works were issued through Parisian mints such as Monnaie de Paris and private foundries including Augis and Arthus Bertrand.
Rugby in France at this time was not only a popular sport but a symbol of regional pride—particularly in the southwest—and Rasumny’s depiction of the line-out captures both the physical tension and the collective coordination that characterized French rugby in its formative decades.
Artistic and Collecting Significance
• Author-signed bronze by a notable interwar French medallist.
• Fine composition representing early modern rugby iconography.
• Blank cartouche, suggesting limited production for customizable awards (club or federation level).
• Art Deco style links this piece to a broader movement of athletic realism in French numismatic and sculptural art.
• Rarity: Moderate; Rasumny’s rugby-themed plaques are considerably less common than his track-and-field or fencing medals.
Museum note (curatorial summary):
This Rasumny bronze unites the technical refinement of Paris medallic art with the emerging heroic imagery of rugby in interwar France. A quintessential object of French sporting culture, it stands as both an artwork and a historic symbol of rugby’s cultural integration between the wars.
Cataloguing Keywords
France; Rugby Union; Art Deco; 1930s; René Rasumny; bronze plaque; sports award; Fédération Française de Rugby; interwar medallic art; Monnaie de Paris; French sporting culture.