Medals of Dishonour

The darker, more satirical side of medal-making and wearing is explored in this display, which takes its name from American sculptor David Smith's 'Medals for Dishonour' (1938-40), commemorating the destruction of war. Included are works from the past 400 years that denounce subjects and expose hypocrisy -including a seventeenth-century Dutch medal ridiculing Louis XIV of France and another made in response to the financial scandals of the 1720s. Medals commissioned from contemporary artists including Jake and Dinos Chapman, Grayson Perry and Ilya and Emilia Kabakov bring the tradition up to date with the 'celebration' of the war in Iraq, Asbos and the credit crunch.