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Cosimo de Medici

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

This bronze medal is made in Florence in the third quarter of the 15th century.

Hill suggests the artist most in favour (at the time of his writing in 1930) is Niccolo Fiorentino. It was before ascribed to Pisano as well as Donatello and Michelozzo.

The medal depicts the bust of Cosimo de' Medici the Elder and on the reverse a seating female figure, representing Florence.


Object details

Categories
Coins & Medals
Sculpture
Portraits
Object type
Medal
TitleCosimo de Medici (generic title)
Materials and techniques
Bronze
Bronze
Brief description
Medal, bronze, depicting Cosimo de' Medici the Elder, third quarter 15th century, Florence, Italy
Physical description
Medal depicts the bust of Cosimo de' Medici and on the reverse a seating female figure, representing Florence.
Dimensions
  • Diameter: 7.62cm
Marks and inscriptions
  • COSMVS MEDICES DECRETO PVB LIC O P P (obverse)
  • PAX LIBERTASQ V E PVBLICA, below FLORENTINA (reverse)
Production
Hill suggests the artist most in favour (at the time of his writing in 1930) is Niccolo Fiorentino. It was before ascribed to Pisano as well as Donatello and Michelozzo.
Subject depicted
De' Medici, Giovanni Di Cosimo
Place depicted
Florence
Summary
This bronze medal is made in Florence in the third quarter of the 15th century.

Hill suggests the artist most in favour (at the time of his writing in 1930) is Niccolo Fiorentino. It was before ascribed to Pisano as well as Donatello and Michelozzo.

The medal depicts the bust of Cosimo de' Medici the Elder and on the reverse a seating female figure, representing Florence.
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, pp. 237, 238, No. 910
Collection
Sculpture Collection
Accession number
4568-1857

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Record createdMay 7, 2009
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O230224/cosimo-de-medici-medal-unknown/
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