American
Medal: National Society Colonial Daughters of America, about 1917
Gilded metal with grosgrain ribbon, 4 cm (1 9/16 in.)
This is a small, golden-bronze colored medal hanging from a short red, white, and blue vertical-stripped grosgrain ribbon. On the front of the medal is a carved ribbon-like edge border with the inscription “Awarded by the National Society Colonial Daughters” surrounding a carved frontal view of an eagle. The eagle's wings are spread, and it stands on a scale over an open book. On the reverse side is the inscription “THE WAR FOR LIBERTY MEDAL FOR THE PROMOTION OF PATRIOTIC EDUCATION” on a smooth background surface. Also on the back, at the top of the ribbon is a pin, possibly for the medal to be used as a lapel pin.
Macknight Room
Commentary
Isabella Stewart Gardner kept meticulous records of many of her acquisitions. In keeping with this legacy, object information is continually being reviewed, updated, and enriched in order to give greater access to the collection.