Image - Lietuvos nacionalinis muziejus

NUMIZMATIKA 4–5
Metraðtis 2003–2004
Straipsniai. Medalininkystë ir faleristika
(2) Medals related to the coronation ceremony. Such medals consecrated by the
Pope were handed out during the ceremony to the worshippers, thereby granting general
absolution to the people wearing them. In time this became an inseparable part
of the coronation ceremony. The obverse of the medals carried the crowned Blessed
Virgin Mary or the crown (the latter is rare on the obverse), the legend witnessing to
the fact of coronation and the coronation date. The reverse mostly contained the crown
or the emblems of the donors of the coronation, and the churches holding the crowned
paintings. The LNM holds the medals of the churches of Sokal of 1724 (Cat. No 5),
Vilnius St Michael of 1750 (Cat. No 6, 7), Leýajsk of 1752 (Cat. No 9), Ùàki Bratjanskie
of 1752 (Cat. 8), Berdyczów of 1756 (to commemorate the 1st coronation, Cat.
No 10), Poczajów of 1773 (19th century copy, Cat. No 11), Berdyczów of 1854 (to
commemorate the 2nd coronation, Cat. No 12), Cracow of 1883 (Cat. No 13, 14),
Dzików of 1904 (Cat. No. 15), Czæstochowa of 1910 (to commemorate the 2nd coronation,
Cat. No. 16–22) and Auðros Vartø of 1927 (Cat. No. 23–34).
(3) Medals issued following the coronation of a miraculous image. If there was a
shortage of funds or for other reasons sometimes medals were not made or were
produced later, for a coronation anniversary. The obverse of the medals carried the
image of the crowned Blessed Virgin Mary, the legend witnessing to the fact of coronation
and the coronation date (although the medals were issued at a later date). The
reverse bore the images of Christ or the saints distributed by the fraternities in whose
churches the images were crowned (represented on the obverse) and portraits of the
popes. The LNM holds the medals of Berdyczów of the 19th century for commemorating
the 1st coronation of the image of the Blessed Virgin Mary of 1756 (Cat. No.
36–40), Jarosùaw of 1755 (Cat. No. 42–45), Latyczów of 1778 (Cat. No. 35) and Miedniewice
of 1767 (made in 1907, Cat. No. 41).
Coronation medals with the image of the Blessed Virgin Mary influenced
the strengthening and spread of the cult of various iconographic types of the
Blessed Mother of God. For this reason they are important not only for studying
medal-making; they are also valuable for studying the history of worship
and the history of gracious individual images of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Figure and table legends
Fig. 1. The medal related to the crowning of the Sokal painting of the Mother of
God. 1724. Silver, casting, engraving, ¨ 60 mm. Source: Rewoliñski 695 R 4 .
Fig. 2. A devotional medal related to the crowning of the image of the Blessed Virgin
Mary at St. Michael’s Church in Vilnius; dated 1750, silver, 30,5 × 25,5 mm, p –
7,17 g, KNM (Czapski 7090, R5).
Fig. 3. A devotional medal related to the crowning of the image of the Blessed Virgin
Mary at St Michael’s Church in Vilnius; dated 1750, bronze, 38 × 32 mm, p – 24,364 g,
with a lug, casting, LDM, Inv. No. TM 1133. Photograph by Henrikas Sakalauskas
Fig. 4. Medal related to the crowning of the Pivaðiûnai painting of the Mother of
God. 1988. Terracota, ¨ 95 mm. Collection of Algimantas Urbonas.
Table 1. Types and chronology of the St Virgin Mary coronation medals held at
the National Museum of Lithuania.
Gauta: 2006 02 09
Parengta spaudai: 2006 04 10
100