ANTIQUE FRENCH BRONZE PLAQUE MEDAL DESIGNED BY KAUTSCH . LABOUR HARD WORK CONQUERS ALL MEANING. AWARDED TO MME BREYSSE MARIA 1923 -1947. SOCIETE KLAXON - A FRENCH COMPANY KNOWN HISTORICALLY FOR MANUFACTURING HORNS WARNING DEVICES AND AUTOMOTIVE COMPONENTS.
ANTIQUE FRENCH BRONZE KAUTSCH SOCIETE KLAXON MARIA BREYSSE SERVICE MEDAL PLAQUES
A very attractive antique French BRONZE LONG-SERVICE / EMPLOYMENT AWARD PLAQUE, engraved for:
MLLE BREYSSE
MARIA
and presented by:
SOCIÉTÉ KLAXON
with the dates:
1923–1947
The plaque is associated with the noted medallist:
HEINRICH KAUTSCH
and belongs to the French tradition of finely modelled industrial and employment award plaquettes produced during the early-to-mid 20th century.
The engraved dates suggest approximately:
24 YEARS OF SERVICE
with Société Klaxon, although I would describe this as a likely employment or long-service span rather than state retirement or a precise anniversary unless further documentation confirms it.
Details
Type: Long-Service / Employment Award Plaque
Company: Société Klaxon
Recipient: Mlle Maria Breysse
Dates: 1923–1947
Material: Bronze / Bronze-Type Metal
Artist: Heinrich Kautsch
Inscription: Société Klaxon / Mlle Breysse / Maria / 1923–1947
Decoration: Palm / Laurel-Type Branch
Period: Mid-20th Century
Country: France
Collector Category: Industrial / Motoring / Employment / Medallic Art
Please refer to the photographs for the exact dimensions, weight, edge marks, artist signature, patination and full inscription.
Société Klaxon
The plaque was presented by:
SOCIÉTÉ KLAXON
a French company associated with:
HORNS
SIRENS
AUTOMOTIVE ACCESSORIES
VEHICLE WARNING DEVICES
The name Klaxon became so closely associated with mechanical and electric horns that it entered everyday language as a generic term for a vehicle horn.
This gives the plaque particularly strong appeal to collectors of:
AUTOMOBILIA
FRENCH MOTORING HISTORY
INDUSTRIAL MEMORABILIA
Maria Breysse
The recipient is engraved as:
MLLE BREYSSE
MARIA
with Mlle being the abbreviation for:
MADEMOISELLE
The named recipient gives the plaque much more personal historical interest than an unawarded stock example.
The dates:
1923–1947
suggest a service period of approximately:
24 YEARS
which may represent long employment, retirement or another service milestone.
Without accompanying paperwork, I would keep the exact reason broad as:
LONG-SERVICE / EMPLOYMENT RECOGNITION
1923–1947
The engraved period spans:
1923 TO 1947
covering an extraordinary period of European and industrial history.
Maria Breysse’s apparent period with the company would have encompassed:
THE INTERWAR YEARS
THE GREAT DEPRESSION
THE SECOND WORLD WAR
POST-WAR RECONSTRUCTION
making the plaque a particularly evocative piece of workplace and social history.
Heinrich Kautsch
The design is associated with:
HEINRICH KAUTSCH
also encountered in French contexts simply as:
H. KAUTSCH
Kautsch was born in Prague in:
1859
and became an important medallist and sculptor associated with Art Nouveau and allegorical medallic design.
He moved to Paris in 1889 and became especially noted for his rectangular plaquettes and allegorical compositions.
Labour & Industry Theme
Kautsch produced well-known labour-themed plaquettes featuring the Latin motto:
LABOR IMPROBUS OMNIA VINCIT
which can be translated approximately as:
HARD / PERSISTENT WORK CONQUERS ALL
or:
STEADY LABOUR OVERCOMES EVERYTHING
A documented French bronze award plaquette by Kautsch uses exactly this labour allegory and was adapted for industrial presentation purposes.
This makes Kautsch an especially appropriate artist for a long-service award connected with an industrial manufacturer.
Palm / Laurel Branch
The engraved or modelled branch on the plaque appears to be a:
PALM / LAUREL-TYPE BRANCH
a traditional symbol associated with:
ACHIEVEMENT
MERIT
HONOUR
LONG SERVICE
Such motifs were commonly used on French presentation plaques and medals.
French Industrial Awards
French companies frequently presented bronze plaquettes to employees marking:
LONG SERVICE
RETIREMENT
JUBILEES
MERIT
LOYAL EMPLOYMENT
These objects were often individually engraved with:
NAME
COMPANY
DATES
SERVICE PERIOD
making each surviving example a unique piece of workplace history.
Automobile Industry Connection
Because Société Klaxon was involved in vehicle horns and automotive equipment, this plaque has additional crossover appeal for collectors of:
AUTOMOTIVE HISTORY
FRENCH MOTORING
GARAGE MEMORABILIA
CAR ACCESSORIES
EARLY MOTOR INDUSTRY
The Klaxon name is especially evocative of early motoring and the development of audible warning devices.
Bronze Medallic Art
The plaque appears to be struck or cast in:
BRONZE / BRONZE-TYPE METAL
with a naturally aged surface.
French bronze plaquettes were often produced by specialist medal manufacturers and could carry:
BRONZE EDGE MARKS
FOUNDRY MARKS
MAKER'S PUNCHES
which may help confirm exact manufacture.
Please inspect the edge photographs carefully for any such marks.
Collector Appeal
This piece should appeal to collectors of:
Heinrich Kautsch
French Bronze Medals
Société Klaxon
Automobilia
Industrial Awards
Long Service Medals
French Motoring History
Art Nouveau Plaquettes
Employment Memorabilia
Named Presentation Medals
Highlights
SOCIÉTÉ KLAXON
NAMED TO MARIA BREYSSE
DATED 1923–1947
APPROX. 24 YEARS SERVICE
HEINRICH KAUTSCH
BRONZE PLAQUETTE
Long-service / employment award
Strong French industrial history
Automotive / motoring association
Decorative palm / laurel motif
Named and dated presentation piece
Strong medallic-art collector appeal
A particularly interesting antique French Société Klaxon bronze service plaque, engraved to Mlle Maria Breysse for the period 1923–1947 and associated with the celebrated medallist Heinrich Kautsch.
Condition & Attribution
The plaque is in honest antique condition with wear consistent with age and handling.
Please inspect the photographs carefully for any:
EDGE KNOCKS
SURFACE SCRATCHES
PATINATION
OXIDATION
RUBBING
ENGRAVING WEAR
SPOTS
OLD CLEANING
GENERAL AGE-RELATED MARKS
where visible.
The recipient inscription is recorded as:
SOCIÉTÉ KLAXON
MLLE BREYSSE
MARIA
1923–1947
based on the supplied identification.
The dates are interpreted as a likely employment or long-service period of approximately 24 years, but no claim is made that the plaque specifically marks retirement unless further evidence confirms this.
The artist attribution to Heinrich Kautsch should be confirmed against the visible signature on the plaque.
The metal is described as bronze / bronze-type metal unless an edge mark or testing confirms a more precise composition.
Please use the photographs as the definitive guide to the recipient name, dates, inscription, artist signature, material, colour, edges and overall condition.
🖼️ Item Condition:
This item is in honest antique condition. I’ve included detailed photographs to show the condition, size, inscription, subject detail and edges, so please review them carefully before placing your bid.
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