National Sculpture Society Medal of Honor

Paul Manship, National Sculpture Society Medal of Honor, 1940, bronze, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Bequest of Paul Manship, 1966.47.123
Copied Paul Manship, National Sculpture Society Medal of Honor, 1940, bronze, 4 in. (10.2 cm) diam., Smithsonian American Art Museum, Bequest of Paul Manship, 1966.47.123

Artwork Details

Title
National Sculpture Society Medal of Honor
Artist
Date
1940
Location
Not on view
Dimensions
4 in. (10.2 cm) diam.
Credit Line
Bequest of Paul Manship
Mediums
Mediums Description
bronze
Classifications
Keywords
  • Figure group
  • Mythology — classical — muse
  • Allegory — arts and sciences — sculpture
Object Number
1966.47.123
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1966.47.123

Artwork Description

The National Sculpture Society was organized in 1893 and its members have included noted sculptors Augustus Saint-Gaudens and Daniel Chester French. The society counts nearly four thousand members today drawn from the ranks of American sculptors, architects, historians and conservators. Paul Manship, who created this design, served as president of the NSS from 1939 to 1942, when he was awarded the medal of honor for his service. On the obverse, a winged muse offers a laurel wreath to a sculptor, who holds a ball of clay in one hand and a sculpting loop in the other.