Portretpenningen en Penningen door Carla Klein. www.atelier-nikle.com

ENSCHEDE MEDAL

ENSCHEDE MEDAL
Obv 83 Ø bronze/silber, Commision (not for sale)
The obv from these medal

ENSCHEDE MEDAL
rev 83 Ø bronze/silber, Commision (nfs)
Rev from these medal

In February 2007 Carla Klein designed the ENSCHEDE PENNING
On the back there is a space to engrave a person’s name.
The first medals have been issued.

Read about this medal: ENSCHEDE MEDAL

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ODE TO WEESP

On the obverse you can peek between two trees towards the Sluice Bridge and the Church of Saint Laurentius (picture left). The text on the quay of the river Vecht reads WEESP. Along the edge is the date 20-5 1355. In the left hand tree is a stork sitting with a medal in its mouth and on the tree at the right you can find Carla Klein’s monogram CK. The reverse shows the historic centre of WEEPS, the row of houses adjacent to the main church and the town hall (picture right). The church, houses and trees are modelled with a strong perspective, giving the whole scene a genuine feeling of depth. Clouds complete the picture. The medal is in bronze, diameter 80 mil, and is cast at Binder in Haarlem.

To order, please transfer € 275 to Mr J. van der Veen, Postbank branche Weesp, Account Nr. 4805498. For international transfers, please use Bic Nr. PSTBNL21 and Iban Nr. NL22 PSTB 0004.8054.98.

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DUTCH ART MEDAL SOCIETY (VPK 2006) BY CARLA KLEIN
THREE HORSES titled: TROJKA

81 mm Ø bronze (DUTCH ART MEDAL SOCIETY -2006 not for sale)
The obv from these medal

81 mm Ø bronze (DUTCH ART MEDAL SOCIETY -2006 not for sale)
Rev from these medal

The medal was only obtain by means of the Dutch Medal Art Society (not for sale)

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Maria Callas 1923-1977

Maria Callas 70 mm Ø bronze free design
The obv from these portraitmedal

Maria Callas 1923-1977

Maria Callas Kz 70 mm Ø bronze, free design
Rev portrait/bronze, not commissioned

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Carla Klein and Philip Attwood, curator of the British Museum.
17 June 2006 during the BAMS weekend in Rotterdam.

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On 21 September a portrait relief was revealed
of Mr A.R. Kolff van Oosterwijk engineer at the HERTEL Company
modelled by Carla Klein.

Design.

Wax-model.

Framed Relief.

Congratulating
Mrs Kolff van Oosterwijk. . .

. . . and flowers.

Mr Naborn.

Mr Plasman in conversation
with Mr Kolff van Oosterwijk.

Above the moment of unveiling
by Mrs Kolff van Oosterwijk.

Many attending and flowers for the sculptor .

Carla Klein, Mrs Kolff van Oosterwijk,
and Mr and Mrs Naborn.

* * *

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CARLA KLEIN AND HER MEDALS

The medal with the Self-portrait of Carla Klein (see above), was made on request of her husband in 1996 for his 50th birthday. The agreement was to have only one cast, but the founder cast three fine samples. The first one went to the husband, the second one to the Rijksmuseum Het Koninklijk Penningkabinet and the third to Carla's sister in the United States, so that the medal remained in this way unique. The front side features her face en-profil turned to the left with on her left shoulder one of her cats, Digger, looking to the right. The cat is supported by the right hand of its owner. The reverse is symbolic. A circle is placed in the middle with the monogram CK. In the second circle the names of ther husband and two cats were modeled: Arnold, Digger and Fari. On the third circle she put her profession: SCULPTRESS MEDALLIST (beeldhouwster medailleur). The raised border in the fourth circle underscores the circular shape. Briefly and to the point she says about this creation: 'This is my world around which all revolve.'

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PORTRAIT MEDALS

Jaap van der Veen
Obv 87 mm Ø bronze, commission

Jaap van der Veen
rev 87 mm Ø bronze, commission

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Margit, portrait medal

Margit
73 mm Ø portrait/bronze, not commissioned

MEDALS OF CARLA KLEIN ARE INCREAS IN VALUE

Beside its free penningen Carla cut up also portrait medals in commision

30 years Veterinary practice
Obv, 90 mm Ø bronze, in commission

Nicoline
Obv, 82 mm Ø bronze, not commissioned

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MEDALLIC ART AND PORTRAITS

HER PORTRAITS - The Amsterdam sculptress and medallist Carla Klein has created remarkable medals in her oeuvre; besides her portrait medals there are a dozen double portraits of people and animals. Portraits on medals constitute a separate field within sculpture: not every sculptor nowadays still makes portraits, especially now that medal art has been replaced by abstract creations and objects. To place a well resembling portrait in an artistic way within the circle is considered to be one of the most difficult tasks of the medallist. That is also the reason why so few succeed in getting it right. It is equally difficult to attain a good likeness with animals, something that the owner usually wishes for.

Liselot, Joor, Rosalien
obv 85 mm Ø bronze

Liselot, Joor, Rosalien
rev 85 mm Ø bronze

Trudie
obv 77 mm Ø bronze

Trudie
rev 77 mm Ø bronze

Margreet
Holleman munten
obv 80 mm Ø bronze

Margreet
Holleman munten
rev 80 mm Ø bronze

Marianne en Johan Toet
obv 80 mm Ø bronze

Marianne en Johan Toet
rev 80 mm Ø bronze

THE SEA OTTER
A short story about The sea otter

When she was wachting a slideshow that friends had made
at the coast of California, the sculptor Carla Klein saw a sea otter, for
the first time (1993) in her life. 'I'll make a medal of that',
she exclaimed spontaneously.

Sea-otter, 1993, front side,
bronze, 78 mm Ø. not commissioned

Sea-otter, 1993, reverse side,
bronze, 78 mm Ø. not commissioned

Sea-otter, 1993, side view,
bronze,78 mm Ø. not commissioned

WORKING-METHOD

After that first impulse, notes follow, the idea is further elaborated on notepads and slowly the medal starts
to take shape on paper. Then the questions arises: who has documentation about sea otters? Where can
you borrow books about these animals? Who has something to say about the topic? When all her data
are processed on paper, Klein renders her ideas into beeswax placed on two pieces of hardboard.
As soon as the positive wax models are finished, two negative plaster moulds are cast over them.
When the moulds have dried, Klein fills them up with clay, so that a clay medal takes shape.
Possible unclear spots are retouched while the positive clay model is still wet. After the clay medal
has dried up it is grazed with fine waterproof sandpaper. Then the original model is ready
to be baked in a ceramic oven. That is always a tense moment because it is possible for
a model to crack up. The baked clay medal (the original model) goes to the founder,
who casts the medal into bronze.

The medal bears the portrait of a sea otter
in a characteristic pose;
floating on its back, wrapped in sea weed.

THE SEA OTTER

Sea otters don't live in the Netherlands but along the northern coasts of the Pacific Ocean, e.g. off the coast of California. Their habitat stretches until one-and-a-half mile off the shore, where the seaweed grows in which they live. In order to sleep and rest the sea otters wrap themselves in water plants, so that they take a nap floating on their backs on a bed of seaweed. They keep their head and paws dry by holding them above their body. The weed keeps their temperature at 38 degrees Celsius. They look like teddy bears that have fallen into the water. Living in groups, consisting something of up to 100 heads, they spend their fifteen to twenty year old life in the waves, which can be very cold in the northern regions. Their fur of more than a million hairs offers adequate protection. THE MEDAL - The medal bears the portrait of a sea otter (picture 1) in a characteristic pose; floating on its back, wrapped in sea weed. The reverse portrays the back of the sea otter seen from underneath (picture 2). The text is placed between the water plants, signed middle under with CK. If one views the medal from the side (picture 3) then the edge constitutes the water-level. The designer opted for the American title because of the origin of the sea otter.

The reverse portrays the back of the
sea otter seen from underneath.

If one views the medal from the side then the edge constitutes the water-level. The designer opted for the American title because of the origin of the sea otter.

Carla loves animals very much, and the medal bears witness to this. Moreover this creation belongs to a category of specific medals which have an obverse which continues to the reverse so that one whole is created. The medal can be placed in upright position, but it can also be laid flat on a piece of plexiglass, giving the impression that the sea otter floats in seaweed.

(translation Ellen van Heijningen)

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Commedia dell´Arte
obv 78 mm Ø bronze
not commissioned

Commedia dell´Arte
rev 78 mm Ø bronze
not commissioned

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Two-horse team
obv 83 mm Ø bronze - not commissioned

Two-horse team
rev 83 mm Ø bronze - not commissioned

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QUIET STRENGTH - My admiration for Carla Klein's medals is not without foundation. She has learned it on her own. Her teacher on the Rijksakademie van Beeldende Kunsten in Amsterdam, professor Piet Esser, taught her from 1967 until 1972 the technique of making sculptures, but not of making medals; Carla only began with that after she had left the Rijksakademie. Esser confirmed this in a talk I had with him in December 1999. Moreover, Carla works on a medal at least six months, whereas modelling sculptures demands less time. That is probably the reason why so few sculptors make medals. Obviously I'm very grateful to the sculptress for having drawn my attention to the beauty of medal art. What started as a hesitant discussion about coins and medals turned into a fascinating hobby. Carla often talks about the creations of her teacher Esser and the medallist Christl Seth-Höfner, for whom she has great admiration. Afterwards Heide Dobberkau was added. Carla considers their medals real works of art. Apart from that she considers the Renaissance medals as a high point. Carla herself worked in all peace and quiet on her oeuvre. She didn't bother very much about the various currents or trends which took place in medal art. As a result she developed in the course of years a particular style of her own. The models are sculptured and there is little polishing and filing to get a smoother surface. The sculptress remained faithful to herself and the task she had put herself: to create as well as possible medals within the traditional circle. There is still an ongoing growth in her work. Her medals have through their intensity a quiet strength, which you will experience when you have the medals for some time in your possession. From an artistic point of view Carla Klein reached a great height and as far as her technical skill is concerned: from the above it's obvious that she belongs to the few medallists who still really master the making of portrait medals.

Arnold Nieuwendam

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GLI ETRUSCHI - FIVE MEDALS (1998)

GLI ETRUSCHI

In the period between 1993 and 1998 sculptress-medallist Carla Klein, living
and working in Amsterdam, created five medals inspired by the Etruscans, the
fascinating people from Central-Italy, "1100-90 B.C. Carla Klein chose four of
these drawings from the Grave of the Banquet, Tomba del Triclinio, 480-470 B.C.
in Tarquinia, Italy, and one from the Grave of the Deathbed, Tomba del Letto
Funebre, 470-460 B.C., also in Tarquinia.

On the obverse of the first medal, created in 1993, Klein depicted a Dancer (fig. 1), the boy, walking leftwards, carries a bird in his left hand. The circle-shape is accentuated by an olive-branch with five leaves. The second medal (1994) shows a Woman-Dancer (fig. 2), clothed in a transparant dress, turned leftwards. Her right foot is placed down in the very centre; she dances barefooted. Alongside the edge an olive-branche is shaped, also with five leaves at the end. In 1995 Klein depicted a Twin-flute player (fig. 3) on the third medal. With a clarity that reminds of a cameo she shaped a boy playing the twin-flute, the oboe of ancient times. He, too, wears a transparant attire and walks leftwards. On olive-branches five birds are seated, the ones on top whistling a melody and one at the bottom picking at the olives.

Dancer
Gli Etruschi 1
1993, bronze, 86 mm Ø

Woman-Dancer
Gli Etruschi 2
1994, bronze, 86 mm Ø

Twin-flute player,
Gli Etruschi 3
1995, bronze, 86 mm Ø

Young man with a horse
Gli Etruschi 4
1997, bronze, 86 mm Ø

Woman-Dancer with Garland
Gli Etruschi 5
1998, bronze, 86 mm Ø

Reverses of all five medals are equal.
1998, bronze, 86 mm Ø

A fourth medal, made in 1997, is entitled Young man with a Horse (fig. 4). The youth walks leftwards with his horse. The animal is harnessed and the boy embraces its neck. Alongside the edge an olive-branch with seven heart-shaped leaves does duty as an extra-accent. The last medal of the series, called Woman-Dancer with Garland (fig. 5), was created recently, during the winter of 1997/1998. The dancer, looking back, walks rightwards, holding a wreath in her hand. Her transparant garment is draped gracefully round her body. Alongside the edge three birds can be observed. The reverses (fig. 6) of all five medals are identical. Carla Klein made a choice of birds and dolphins, so often to be seen on Etruscan mural paintings, especially in the Grave of the Fishing, Tomba della Caccia e Pesca, ca. 510 B.C. She shaped a bird rising from the water with above two more birds in full flight. Left and right near the edge we see dolphins, the left one diving downwards and the other upwards. The medal is signed in the centre of the lower half, with the monogram CK.

(Translation Coen Linnekamp)

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CARLA KLEIN 60 year
Thirty-five year medallist
That was celebrated this occasion an exhibition was organised of medals and smal sculpture art.

During the year a meeting of PROMOTIE VAN DE MEDAILLE
5 april 2003 in Brussel

Exhibition of the medals

Medals were examined by experts

Carla Klein and Denise Peeters
during the meeting

A fine party

Display of the medals.
(See further at medals pages)

Carla Klein and Mrs Dupont

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CARLA KLEIN 60 YEAR ()

Thirty-five years as sculptor and medallist,
with an exhibition to celebrate.

THE COIN AND MEDALCABINET
Housed by the Spaar en Voorschotbank at Surhuisterveen (Friesland)