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Niccolo Orsini

Medal
late 15th century (made)
Artist/Maker
Unknown
Place of origin
Italy (made)

This medal is made by an unknown artist in Italy in the 15th century and represents Niccolo (or also Nicholas) Orsini, who was Count of Pitigliano and Nola.

Niccolo's bust is very bald and he is wearing plate-armour over a gorget of mail.

Orsini was a soldier of fortune and worked for Venice in 1509 to defend nearby Padua against the Cambrai League.
Niccolo Orsini is buried in Venice in a tomb in the Basillica di San Giovanni e Paolo & Vicinity.


Object details

Categories
Arms & Armour
Sculpture
Coins & Medals
Portraits
Object type
Medal
TitleNiccolo Orsini (generic title)
Materials and techniques
Bronze
Bronze
Brief description
Medal, bronze, depicting Niccolo Orsini, Italy, late 15th century
Physical description
Medal depicts on the obverse the bust of Niccolo Orsini. The bust is very bald, wearing plate-armour over gorget of mail. There is a pearled border.
The reverse depicts a knight bareheaded - Niccolo - on horseback and two attendants on foot. One bareheaded, the other helmeted.
Dimensions
  • Diameter: 4.13cm
Marks and inscriptions
  • NIC.VRS.PET.ET NOL.COMES.SANTE.ROM.ECCLE.ARMOR.CAP (obverse)
  • NIC.VRS.PETILIANI.ET NO LAE.COMES.REIP.FLOR.CAP (Reverse)
Historical context
Niccolo (or Nicholas) Orsini was Count of Pitigliano and Nola
Subjects depicted
Knight
Horseback
Armour
Orsini, Nicoolo
Summary
This medal is made by an unknown artist in Italy in the 15th century and represents Niccolo (or also Nicholas) Orsini, who was Count of Pitigliano and Nola.

Niccolo's bust is very bald and he is wearing plate-armour over a gorget of mail.

Orsini was a soldier of fortune and worked for Venice in 1509 to defend nearby Padua against the Cambrai League.
Niccolo Orsini is buried in Venice in a tomb in the Basillica di San Giovanni e Paolo & Vicinity.
Bibliographic references
  • Inventory of Art Objects Acquired in the Year 1857. In: Inventory of the Objects in the Art Division of the Museum at South Kensington, Arranged According to the Dates of their Acquisition. Vol I. London: Printed by George E. Eyre and William Spottiswoode for H.M.S.O., 1868, p. 23
  • Hill, George Francis. A Corpus of Italian Medals of the Renaissance, Before Cellini, Volume I, Text. London: British Museum, 1930, p. 172
Collection
Sculpture Collection
Accession number
4565-1857

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Record createdMay 7, 2009
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O230149/niccolo-orsini-medal-unknown/
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