Auction Catalogue

3 April 1998

Starting at 1:00 PM

.

Ancient, British and World Coins, Tokens, Historical Medals and Banknotes

The Arts Club  40 Dover St  London  W1S 4NP

Lot

№ 718

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3 April 1998

Hammer Price:
£130

Death of Henrik Ibsen, 1906, a large cast bronze medal by H.S. Lerche, bust left, wearing spectacles, reverse naked couple standing within horseshoe-shaped lyra, 86mm. A powerful rendition, very fine and extremely rare (£120-150)

Henrik Johan Ibsen (1828-1906), Norwegian playwright and dramatist, recognised today as the father of modern drama. For much of the latter part of the 19th century Ibsen lived in Rome, which perhaps explains why Lerche, working there at the time of Ibsen’s death, chose him as a subject. Another specimen of this medal is in the British Museum