Lot 117: A SILVER AND ENAMEL COMMEMORATIVE MEDAL OF MECCA, LA MONNAIE DE PARIS, 20TH CENTURY

A large silver and enamel commemorative medal produced for the Islamic Heritage Collection. The obverse features a central high-relief representation of the Kaaba at Mecca, finished with dark blue and black enamel to represent the Kiswah and detailed with gold-toned accents. This central motif is enclosed by a wide border of raised silver-toned Arabic calligraphy set against a stippled gold-toned ground. The reverse depicts a panoramic high-relief scene of the Masjid al-Haram, showing the Kaaba within the Mataf courtyard populated by a textured representation of pilgrims, two prominent minarets, and the surrounding architecture against a mountainous backdrop and a polished gold-toned sky. The piece is finished with two-tone parcel-gilding and champlevé enamel. The item is accompanied by its original trilingual brochure printed in gold and black. The brochure features a printed signature of Pierre Dehaye, the General Manager, and contains a text block reading LA MONNAIE DE PARIS identifying the official French Mint as the manufacturer. The brochure describes the medal as part of the Islamic Heritage Collection titled A Memento of Mecca Al-Mukarramah.

Diameter: 12cm, Weight: 1032g