Red Bull Wololo III Medal 2021

This medal was made for the 2021 Red Bull Wololo III, the third Esport event for Age of Empires II Definitive Edition.

As in the previous edition, and to remain faithful to the spirit of the video game, we drew our inspiration from ancient Chinese civilizations jewelry to make this medal look like the vestige of a bygone era, a forgotten treasure.

For several centuries, China has had a major influence over much of Asia. The Chinese mythological figure of the dragon is one of its most iconic symbols. For its raised design, we were therefore inspired by the Jiao Long dragon. It is its most common form dating back to the Song Dynasty, which ruled China from 960 to 1279. In China and Korea, the dragon is the symbol of the emperor and of power.

To design the medal, we focused on the concept of conquest, which is at the heart of Age of Empires II. We researched the various patterns and ornaments used in the Chinese civilization to depict a certain allegory of victory.

To put around the dragon, we used patterns commonly used in the ornamentation of bronze vases inlaid with pewter, silver or gold. To complete this work, we transformed the jump ring from which the medal hangs, by distorting the shape of the traditional Western Zhou Dynasty Feiyan roof tiles.

To make the medal, we drew a sketch and had it modeled in 3D before having it cast by the Macheret foundry. The medals are made of zinc alloy, with gold plating. The coloring of the two logos is obtained by enameling with a varnished resin.