This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 2/27/2026
Stunning silver winner's medal from the Nagano 1998 Winter Olympics, awarded to World Champion, Hall of Famer and Olympic Champion Paul Savage. Savage is widely regarded as the finest left-handed curler ever to compete in the sport, an extraordinary distinction as left-handed delivery is exceptionally rare at the elite level and demands a mastery of angles and strategy that few have achieved. Savage's medal is the first time a curling winner's medal has ever been offered at auction, with the Nagano 1998 Olympics also the first time that curling was recognized as an official Olympic sport.
Created by Takeshi Ito, the silver winner's medal from Nagano is unique in its design among Olympic medals and stunning, combining elements of artistry, Olympic history and Japanese craftsmanship. The colorful "snowflower" design representing the athletes of the Winter Olympics adorns the front, crafted with a traditional Maki-e lacquer technique. Surrounded by olive branches and the Nagano Games emblem in cloisonne, it reads "The XVIII Olympic Winter Games / Nagano 1998" above the Olympic rings. The reverse features a beautiful depiction of the Shinshu mountains with a curling pictograph inset underneath the snowflower, also utilizing Maki-e and lacquerwork and reading "The XVIII Olympic Winter Games, Nagano 1998".
Complete with blue and yellow ribbon and original blue velvet presentation case. Medal measures 80 mm in diameter and weighs 254 grams. Minor wear to silver finish, overall very good plus condition. As a total of only 68 individuals or teams were awarded silver medals in Nagano, this medal remains very rare, especially as identified to the athlete who won it. Consigned directly by Paul Savage and with his LOA.