French Antique Agricultural Prize Plaque Bronze St Etienne 1928 10112624

French agricultural prize plaque

Cast from bronze and finished in a deep bottle-green ground with gilded raised lettering, this French agricultural prize plaque was awarded at the 1928 Concours d'Animaux Gras -- the fatstock competition -- organized by the Ville de Saint-Etienne. The inscription reads clearly: Espece Bovine, Boeufs en Paires, 3e Prix, 1e Division, 4e Section, 1e Categorie. Fatstock shows, known in France as concours d'animaux gras, were prestige civic events held each winter across French market towns, drawing breeders who competed fiercely for recognition in front of regional judges.

The oval plaque is boldly decorative in the manner of early-twentieth-century French civic metalwork: a sculptural bull's head crowns the top, flanked by foliate and wheat-sheaf reliefs along the border. At the base, a small enameled coat of arms in red and gold adds a bright accent against the aged green and gilt surface. A hanging loop at the top means it was always meant to be displayed with pride -- on a stable wall, a farmhouse entry, or today equally at home as a graphic accent piece in a kitchen, study or eclectic interior.

Condition and patina consistent with age. The green-painted background shows the natural darkening and light surface wear of nearly a century of display, with some minor casting roughness to the decorative relief, all of which adds to its honest character.

Approx. 10.0 in wide x 6.3 in high (25.5 x 16 cm).

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