An Antique Sacrifice
Plaquette
first half 16th century (made)
first half 16th century (made)
Artist/Maker | |
Place of origin |
This oval bronze plaquette shows an antique sacrifice and is made by Valerio Belli in the first half of the 16th century. Moulded from an impression of an engraved gem, described in Lippert's Daktyliothek, i, No. 972, as the property of the Emperor.
Belli (1468-1546) was born into a respected Vicentine family. He trained as a goldsmith and developed considerable skills in engraving crystals and dies. For Pope Clement VII he created his masterpiece, a crystal casket with 24 scenes from the life of Christ, now in the Palazzo Pitti in Florence. Belli was strongly influenced by Raphael and Michelangelo. He had a facility to work very quickly, and Vasari noted that Belli had flooded the world with his works.
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 purposes. They also inspired designs in other media, from architecture to bookbindings.
Belli (1468-1546) was born into a respected Vicentine family. He trained as a goldsmith and developed considerable skills in engraving crystals and dies. For Pope Clement VII he created his masterpiece, a crystal casket with 24 scenes from the life of Christ, now in the Palazzo Pitti in Florence. Belli was strongly influenced by Raphael and Michelangelo. He had a facility to work very quickly, and Vasari noted that Belli had flooded the world with his works.
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 purposes. They also inspired designs in other media, from architecture to bookbindings.
Object details
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Object type | |
Titles |
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Materials and techniques | Cast bronze |
Brief description | Plaquette, bronze, An Antique Sacrifice, by Valerio Belli, Italy, first half of 16th century |
Physical description | Plaquette depicts: in the centre, a cylindrical altar with two draped female figures on either side; in the background are two other figures and a temple with semicircular pediment. Architectural background; blank exergue. |
Dimensions |
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Object history | Moulded from an impression of an engraved gem, described in Lippert's Daktyliothek, i, No. 972, as the property of the Emperor; Plaquette is used with some variation as the reverse of a medal of Jacopo Sannazaro, Museo Mazuchellianum, i, pl. XLIII, No. 3. |
Subjects depicted | |
Summary | This oval bronze plaquette shows an antique sacrifice and is made by Valerio Belli in the first half of the 16th century. Moulded from an impression of an engraved gem, described in Lippert's Daktyliothek, i, No. 972, as the property of the Emperor. Belli (1468-1546) was born into a respected Vicentine family. He trained as a goldsmith and developed considerable skills in engraving crystals and dies. For Pope Clement VII he created his masterpiece, a crystal casket with 24 scenes from the life of Christ, now in the Palazzo Pitti in Florence. Belli was strongly influenced by Raphael and Michelangelo. He had a facility to work very quickly, and Vasari noted that Belli had flooded the world with his works. 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 purposes. They also inspired designs in other media, from architecture to bookbindings. |
Bibliographic references |
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Collection | |
Accession number | 953-1904 |
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Record created | December 5, 2008 |
Record URL |
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