Paris, France — A nocturnal or nocturlabe is a close cousin to the astrolabe or sundial, but it helps you to find your way in the night as it is used to determine the time based on the motion and movement of the stars in the night sky. The horologium noctis, as it is called in Latin, was used by mathematicians, astronomers and navigators circa 1400-1800. And this year it served as an inspiration for the medal that was awarded the Monnaie de Paris Prize.  

This year the Monnaie de Paris, the Paris Mint and the oldest company in France, presented its fourth Monnaie de Paris Prize to the artist Sabrina Vitali who was assisted by the teams at La Monnaie to create her award-winning medal, Fendre la nuit (meaning to cleave the night) which becomes part of the Monnaie’s permanent collection. She conceived the medal, which will be brought out in a limited edition by the mint, as a poetic tool to be able to guide us through moments of obscurity. It resembles figures of pre-history like the Venus statuettes and the silex arrow head, poised to cleave into the night.

The French Mint throughout its long and illustrious existence has worked closely with artists and designers to create its most emblematic of objects, the medal. In 2020, the establishment launched its Paris Mint Prize to encourage exchanges with artists and to showcase the knowhow of its arts and craftsmen. In the second half of the 20th century the Mint has worked in its workshops with artists like Dali, César and Brassaï.

The French Mint, known as La Monnaie in French, is located on the banks of the Seine in Paris and was officially founded in 864 with the Edict of Pistres in which Charles the Bald, the King of West Francia, decreed the creation of a coining workshop in Paris attached to the crown. The Mint, the Monnaie de Paris, is regarded as France’s longest standing institution and potentially the oldest enterprise in the world. The mint and its collection are open to the public. Reservations are recommended. ©Trish Valicenti for The Gourmet Gazette.  https://www.monnaiedeparis.fr/