In Praise of Mariani Coca-Wine
1895
Medium
Bronze, struck, silvered
Dimensions
2 1/16 × 1 1/2 in. (52 × 38 mm)
Classification
Medals and Plaquettes
Culture
French
Department
European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Dr. Angelo Mariani, 1896
Accession Number
96.7.2a, b
Rights
Public Domain
Tags
Art Historical Context
This delicate silvered bronze medal, created by French artist Louis-Oscar Roty in 1895, offers a charming glimpse into late nineteenth-century French commercial art. Measuring just over two inches, the plaquette was struck to celebrate Mariani Coca-Wine, a popular tonic wine infused with coca leaves that was widely marketed for its supposed health benefits. The imagery, featuring mothers, children, and trees, evokes themes of vitality, growth, and natural nourishment, aligning with the product's promotional message of wellness and renewal. Roty, a leading figure in the revival of medallic art...
About the Artist
Louis-Oscar Roty · 1846–1911
Louis-Oscar Roty, commonly known as Oscar Roty (1846–1911), was born on June 11 in Paris's Belleville neighborhood, the son of a modest schoolmaster. He began his artistic training under Horace Lecoq de Boisbaudran at the Petite École (later the École des Arts Décoratifs), honing his drawing skills, before entering the École des Beaux-Arts in 1864. There, he studied sculpture and medal engraving u...