Stamped oval bronze uniface token in Art Deco style with loop for ribbon suspension with a book inscribed ‘1535’ and circumscribed ‘EESTI RAAMAT 1935’ (Estonian Book 1935); dimensions 22mm by 15mm (⅞ inch by ⅜ inch approx). The 400th anniversary of the printing of the first book in Estonian was important in 1935 more for political than cultural reasons. The language had been suppressed during Russian rule and its availability in printed form was an important symbol of Estonian independence. By 1935, Estonia was a dictatorship under Konstantin Päts and nationalist sentiment was strong. The occasion was a reminder of a long and cultured history, and, in that sense, the event and this token are propaganda. The token is based on the design for the commemorative medal by Ferdi Sannamees (1895-1963) shown in ‘Eesti Teenetemärgid’ (Estonian Orders and Decorations) by Hannes Walter on pages 240-241. Sannamees was an artist and sculptor and member of the Tallinn Group; his commissions included the monument to the Estonian War of Independence, erected in 1927.
|