United States Navy Distinguished Service Medal

Paul Manship, United States Navy Distinguished Service Medal, ca. 1919, bronze, overall: 9 ¹⁄₂ x 6 in. (24.0 x 15.2 cm.), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the artist, 1965.16.87

Artwork Details

Title: United States Navy Distinguished Service Medal
Artist: Paul Manship
Date: ca. 1919
Location: Not on view
Dimensions: overall: 9 ¹⁄₂ x 6 in. (24.0 x 15.2 cm.)
Credit Line: Gift of the artist
Mediums: bronze
Mediums Description: bronze
Classifications: Sculpture
Medal
Subjects: Architecture — boat
Animal — bird — eagle
Animal — porpoise
Object Number: 1965.16.87
Linked Open Data: https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1965.16.87

Artwork Description

Congress authorized the United States Navy Distinguished Service Medal on February 4, 1919. The medal is awarded for meritorious service in the Navy, whether in combat or noncombat operations. In Paul Manship’s design the American eagle appears on the obverse and Poseidon’s trident on the reverse. The pendant medal hangs from a bar sculpted in the shape of a military ship supported by two dolphins.