Stemma of Pope Leo X thumbnail 1
Image of Gallery in South Kensington
On display at V&A South Kensington
Medieval & Renaissance, Room 50a, The Paul and Jill Ruddock Gallery

Stemma of Pope Leo X

Stemma
ca. 1515 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Pope Leo X was the son of Lorenzo the Magnificent (the unofficial ruler of Florence) and a major patron of the arts. His stemma combined the Medici emblem of six balls (or palle) with the papal device of crossed keys and a tiara. It was displayed on buildings associated with Leo, his family or his papal office.


Object details

Category
Object type
TitleStemma of Pope Leo X (generic title)
Materials and techniques
Carved stone
Brief description
Stemma, sandstone, of Pope Leo X, Italy (Florence), ca. 1515
Physical description
Large stone coat of arms. Two putti support a shield topped by crossed keys and the papal tiara.The sculpture retains blue and yellow paint.
Dimensions
  • Height: 102cm
  • Width: 90cm
  • Depth: 21cm
  • Weight: 180kg
Measured for the Medieval and Renaissance Galleries
Object history
Bought for £777 14s. 6d., in Florence. Stated to have previously been in the Palazzo Guicciardini. The stemma shows the shield-of-arms of Pope Leo X, and mut therefore have been carved between the Pope's election in 1513 and his death in 1522, most likely in connection with his official entry into Florence in 1515.
Subjects depicted
Association
Summary
Pope Leo X was the son of Lorenzo the Magnificent (the unofficial ruler of Florence) and a major patron of the arts. His stemma combined the Medici emblem of six balls (or palle) with the papal device of crossed keys and a tiara. It was displayed on buildings associated with Leo, his family or his papal office.
Bibliographic reference
Pope-Hennessy, John. Catalogue of Italian Sculpture in the Victoria and Albert Museum. Volume II: Text. Sixteenth to Twentieth Century. London: Her Majesty's Stationery Office, 1964, pp. 410, 1, cat. no. 429
Collection
Accession number
A.6-1960

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Record createdJuly 21, 2006
Record URL
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