Antique French Bronze Medal Virgin and Child by Elie Pellegrin - Virgo Protegat Te - Vintage Religious Medallion

A substantial devotional medal cast in bronze with a deep, aged patina, signed by the sculptor Elie Pellegrin. The Virgin is shown in profile, the Child nestled against her cheek, in finely worked relief — her hair, the radiating halo, and the inscription VIRGO PROTEGAT TE stand out crisply against the darkened background. An authentic piece of 20th-century French Marian devotion, striking in its size and presence.

Type: Religious devotional medal
Period: 20th century
Material: Bronze
Dimensions: 67 mm diameter (2.64 in), 89 mm total height with bail (3.5 in), weight 10.6 g
Origin: France
Condition: good vintage condition, period patina visible on the reverse, consistent with age

The relief is crisp and generous, with the fine-grained finish typical of hand-worked bronze: the Virgin's facial features, the Child's hair, and the capital lettering are all executed with precision, free of blur or blunting, evidence of a carefully finished die. The reverse, left plain and patinated, carries the engraver's signature.

The piece is signed Elie Pellegrin (1914-2004), a French sculptor based in Chamonix from 1945. A deeply devout artist, he dedicated most of his work to religious subjects — crucifixes, figurines, medals — and developed a highly personal metal enameling technique (on bronze, copper, silver, and gold) admired by art collectors. By the 1960s his style had turned distinctly modern, almost avant-garde. He opened a workshop-boutique in 1968 and received commissions from across France and abroad.

This medal can be worn as a pendant on a long chain, displayed on a desk or shelf, or added to a collection of antique religious medals. It will appeal to collectors of sculptor-signed medals, admirers of 20th-century sacred art, and anyone seeking a signed piece to gift or pass down.

Authentic, signed, and carefully executed, this medal combines devotional meaning with genuine collector interest — a rare find in this size, by a recognized artist.

This bronze Virgin and Child medal signed by Elie Pellegrin, with its Virgo Protegat Te inscription and generous size, is a standout piece for collectors of antique French religious medals and admirers of 20th-century sacred art.

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