A Roman trophy
Print
Third quarter 16th century (published)
Third quarter 16th century (published)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This engraving by an unknown artist from the mid 16th century shows a Roman trophy. The first military trophies consisted of the arms and armour of the conquered hung from a tree. Transformed into stone sculptures by the Romans, they survived to be recorded by 16th century print makers and to inspire designers. This trophy is thought to commemorate the victory of the Roman General, Gaius Marius, over the tribe of the Cimbri, in 102 BC. This trophy is typical in its decoration: shields, swords, helmets and other weapons accompany the angels, centaurs, sphinx, flower decoration and tritons (or mermen).
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | A Roman trophy (generic title) |
| Materials and techniques | Engraving on paper |
| Brief description | Anonymous engraver, 1 of 2 plates depicting the trophies of Marius, published by Antonio Lafrery, Italian, third quarter 16th century. |
| Physical description | Print showing a Roman trophy, with shields, helmets and arrows, with angels supporting the shields and flower ornament |
| Dimensions |
|
| Style | |
| Gallery label |
|
| Object history | The first military trophies consisted of the arms and armour of the conquered hung up on a tree. Transformed into stone sculptures by the Romans, they survived to be recorded by 16th century print makers and to inspire designers. This trophy has thought to commemorate the victory of the Roman General, Gaius Marius, over the tribe of the Cimbri (102 BC). |
| Production | Reissues of earlier plates from mid 16th century |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Summary | This engraving by an unknown artist from the mid 16th century shows a Roman trophy. The first military trophies consisted of the arms and armour of the conquered hung from a tree. Transformed into stone sculptures by the Romans, they survived to be recorded by 16th century print makers and to inspire designers. This trophy is thought to commemorate the victory of the Roman General, Gaius Marius, over the tribe of the Cimbri, in 102 BC. This trophy is typical in its decoration: shields, swords, helmets and other weapons accompany the angels, centaurs, sphinx, flower decoration and tritons (or mermen). |
| Bibliographic reference | Miller, E., 16th-century Italian ornament prints in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, 1999, p. 174 (cat. 51b). |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | 24486:1 |
About this object record
Explore the Collections contains over a million catalogue records, and over half a million images. It is a working database that includes information compiled over the life of the museum. Some of our records may contain offensive and discriminatory language, or reflect outdated ideas, practice and analysis. We are committed to addressing these issues, and to review and update our records accordingly.
You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.
Suggest feedback
You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.
Suggest feedback
| Record created | July 14, 2005 |
| Record URL |
Download as: JSONIIIF Manifest
