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| 1964 Olympic Gold Medal |
When it comes to custom framing, Chemers Gallery really goes for the gold! We love projects that are not your average frame design - it really allows our
creativity to shine for our clients to ensure their artwork or objects are shown off to their best potential. One recent project was the framing of an Olympic gold medal in a custom display box.
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| Rex running hurdles - photo from usatf.org |
Lynn wanted a special surprise for her husband, Rex. He was a participant in the 1964 Tokyo Olympics and won the gold for hurdles. She wanted to create a display for him to
proudly showcase his medal. Rex takes his medal on school visits and to group meetings to talk about his Olympic experience, so the display case had to be easy to open. With a little discussion and collaboration, we found the perfect moulding for her: a simple mahogany with a hand-carved leaf motif on the corners.
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| Hand-carved mahogany corner sample |
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| Laurel Wreath - don't the leaves look similar? |
What was especially appealing about the corner motif is its resemblance to the laurel leaf, like the wreathes Olympians wore in days of yore. We customized the frame by making it wider than our original corner sample, and took it a step further by having a light rubbing of gold leafing applied to the carved details. Part of the
magic of using a hand-made frame is that the possibilities are nearly endless!
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| Sometimes a little gold makes all the difference! |
We lined the case inside with deep burgundy linen fabric to offset the medal and the ribbon it's attached to. Finally, we created a custom hanger inside the case to hang the ribbon. No part of the medal is permanently attached to the case, so Rex can remove and replace at will. For added
clarity, we used Museum Glass, which provides 99% UV protection and has a special coating to make it virtually reflection-less in most light.
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| Rex's Olympic Gold |
You may have noticed during the recent summer games in London that all medals were attached to royal purple ribbons. Did you know that the ribbon colors change every year and are significant to the particular games the medals were presented at?
Neither did we! This particular ribbon ties in nicely with the official Olympic colors (white, blue, yellow, black, green and red). Designated in 1912, the colors were chosen to represent all of the colors on the flags of all participating nations, showing them coexisting in
harmony side by side. Isn't that a great notion?
Do you have a piece of art or a meaningful object or collection that you want to frame? Bring it in to Chemers Gallery! We always strive to present you with the best possible options for your treasured art and heirlooms to suit your style and your wallet. We do all of our framing on-site and adhere to conservation standards.
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