France. VICTORY. By Léon-Claude Mascaux (1882-1965). Bronze with a silvered reverse 50mm. $100

Léon-Claude Mascaux was born in Saine-Germain-en-Lay (Yvelines) on June 13 1882, He studied under the sculptors Landowski and Bouchard. He first exhibited at the Salon of the Société des Beaux Arts in 1921. In 1924 he won a medal in the artistic comptetion of the Olumpic Games. In the following year he won a Grand Prix at the Exposition des Arts D?oratifs et Industriels Moderns for a series seven sports-themed medals. Unlike his contemporaries, he eschewed the reducing machine and cut his models directly into the plaster in the actual size of his intended medals. His medals typically reflect a strong Art Deco style. Mascaux died at Fontainebleau on March 8 1965.