K-256
FIDGETY PHILIP
(Zapplephilippe)
1920, Cast bronze, Satirical medal, 59.0mm, 74.45g.
Obverse: A dining table, covered with a table cloth and a three layer cake labeled, "Sach, Bayern, Preussen" (Saxony, Bavaria, Prussia). Wilhelm II, as "Zappelphilipp", rocks far back in his chair which is labeled, "Militarismus" (Militarism), Bismarck, as the father, and Germania, as the mother, callout, "Wilhelm, das missfallt mir sehr!" (Wilhelm, I don't like that at all). K•G in exergue.
Reverse: Wilhelm falls back in his chair, taking the table cloth with him; the cake labeled, "Sach, Bayern,Preussen", has split. The uncovered table bear the words,"Bolshevism, Kriegssteuer, Staatsbankerott" (Bolshevism, War-taxes, Bankruptcy). Inscription in border, "Nun ist Wilhelmganz versteckt, and der Tisch ist abgedeckt" (Now Wilhelm is nowhere to be found and the table is empty). Dated,1920.
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Goetz created this medal around a childrens story written by Heinrich Hoffmann, "Struwwelpeter", where the main character is Fidgity Philip. "Fidget" was a popular euphemism at the time that equates to our contemporary label of attention deficit disorder (ADD).
Goetz creates a wonderful picture symbolizing the damage done by Wilhelm's "fidgetiness".
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