Estonia (Russia / USSR, Estonian SSR) Bronze Medal 1983(?) - In memory of Jaan Koort (1883-1935)

159.05g. 72mm. UNC/UNC. 

Tallinn Artistic Products Combinate “ARS”, Metal Leafing Studio. 

The medal did not undergo the full technological cycle and was not patinated. 

Jaan Koort (1883-1935) was a prominent Estonian sculptor, painter, and ceramic artist, regarded as one of the founders of modern Estonian sculpture. Born in Tartumaa, he received his artistic education in St. Petersburg and Paris, where he was influenced by the international avant-garde and the artistic circle of La Ruche. 

Koort worked extensively in France, Russia, and Estonia, exhibiting at major Paris salons including the Salon d’Automne and the Salon des Indépendants. His works were acquired by leading institutions such as the Tretyakov Gallery, the Ateneum Art Museum, and the Musée du Luxembourg. 

Returning to Estonia after World War I, Koort became a central figure in the country’s artistic life, producing monumental sculptures, portrait heads, animal figures, and ceramic works. In his later years he worked in the Soviet Union as an artistic advisor and ceramic specialist. Koort died in Moscow in 1935. His work had a lasting influence on Estonian sculpture and decorative arts.