Circular silvered bronze medal with laterally pierced ball and ring suspension; the face with the three-quarter length figures of a French soldier (left) and a British soldier (right) both facing right, rifles with fixed bayonets held across their bodies at the ready, the ruins of Arras beyond, inscribed above ‘ARRAS’, signed ‘P. BOUVIER’ (for the Swiss sculptor Paul Bouvier, 1857-1940); the reverse with a lion standing facing right, its front paws on the chest of a recumbent dragon, Arras cathedral intact beyond, dated 1914-1918 above, with Paris Mint cornucopia and ‘BR’ bronze hallmarks; on possibly original correct ribbon mounted for wear in the French style. The medal was instituted in 1956 on the initiative of the Comité National des Vétérans de 1914.1918 and took the same form as the table medal created by the Swiss artist Paul Bouvier in 1936. A first wearable version of the medal had a double ring suspension; a second, more frequently encountered version, had a laterally-pierced ball, as in this example. Arras holds a strategic position in north-west France and was the scene of devastating fighting during World War I, particularly in April and May 1917. The medal was manufactured by the Paris Mint in small numbers and is rare. A magnificent example.
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