Christ and the Woman taken in adultery
Mould
1540-1550 (made)
1540-1550 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This object is a mould or matrix which has been created by taking a cast of a rock crystal intaglio engraving. It was intended to be used for the casting of bronze plaquettes which would reproduce in relief the original image in the rock crystal. Plaquettes are small plaques made of bronze, brass, lead or precious metals. They originated in the 1440s with the desire to reproduce coins and hardstone engravings from ancient Greece and Rome. Some were made as collector’s pieces, to be viewed and displayed in private, and others for practical or devotional purposes, such as decorations for caskets,ink-stands and paxes. This mould was made from a rock crystal plaque that formed part of Valerio Belli's masterpiece, a casket with 24 scenes from the life of Christ, completed for Pope Clement VII in 1537. Most of Belli’s plaquettes were based on his hardstone engravings. However, the existence of matrices suggests that he may have made designs specially for reproduction.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Christ and the Woman taken in adultery (generic title) |
| Materials and techniques | Brass, incuse matrix |
| Brief description | Matrix, bronze by Valerio Belli, Italy (Rome) ca. 1500-50 |
| Physical description | Brass intaglio mould or matrix. Against an architectural background of a portico with a central arch, four pilasters and a pediment with an inscription stands a group of seven figures. In the centre Christ kneels in front of the woman taken in adultery while the disciples look on. |
| Dimensions |
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| Marks and inscriptions | VALERIVS.VI.F (Inscription appears in reverse)
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| Object history | Historical significance: Moulded for the purpose of casting bronze plaquettes from an impression of a rock crystal intaglio engraving on the casket of Clement VII in the Museo degli Argenti, Florence. For bronze plaquettes of the subject see Burns et al, 2000. |
| Historical context | Shows how images known from engraved gems and hardstones persisted and could be reproduced to appear again in bronze plaquettes and small reliefs. |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Summary | This object is a mould or matrix which has been created by taking a cast of a rock crystal intaglio engraving. It was intended to be used for the casting of bronze plaquettes which would reproduce in relief the original image in the rock crystal. Plaquettes are small plaques made of bronze, brass, lead or precious metals. They originated in the 1440s with the desire to reproduce coins and hardstone engravings from ancient Greece and Rome. Some were made as collector’s pieces, to be viewed and displayed in private, and others for practical or devotional purposes, such as decorations for caskets,ink-stands and paxes. This mould was made from a rock crystal plaque that formed part of Valerio Belli's masterpiece, a casket with 24 scenes from the life of Christ, completed for Pope Clement VII in 1537. Most of Belli’s plaquettes were based on his hardstone engravings. However, the existence of matrices suggests that he may have made designs specially for reproduction. |
| Bibliographic references |
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| Collection | |
| Accession number | M.197-1929 |
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| Record created | May 10, 2005 |
| Record URL |
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