Not currently on display at the V&A

An allegorical subject

Plaquette
ca. 1500 (made)
Artist/Maker
Master I.O.F.F. (artist)
Place of origin
Italy (made)

This plaquette showing an allegorical scene is made by the Master IO.F.F., a plaquette-maker working ca. 1500.
Plaquettes are small plaques or reliefs made of bronze, brass, lead or precious metals. They originated in the 1440ies 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 book-bindings.


Object details

Categories
Sculpture
Plaques & Plaquettes
Myths & Legends
Object type
Plaquette
TitleAn allegorical subject (generic title)
Materials and techniques
Bronze
Bronze
Brief description
Plaquette, bronze, an allegorical subject, by the Master IO.F.F., Italy, ca. 1500
Physical description
On a pedestal an old man seated breaking a stick, below him a warrior. In the centre two men, one kneeling and trying to break a bundle of sticks, the other standing and breaking a single stick above his head. Other men. In teh sky the sign of Taurus under a star, between a small cupid and a crescent moon.
Dimensions
  • Height: 6.4cm
  • Width: 6.1cm
Object history
From the Salting bequest.
Subjects depicted
Man
Sticks
Sky
Taurus
Summary
This plaquette showing an allegorical scene is made by the Master IO.F.F., a plaquette-maker working ca. 1500.
Plaquettes are small plaques or reliefs made of bronze, brass, lead or precious metals. They originated in the 1440ies 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 book-bindings.
Bibliographic references
  • 'Salting Bequest (A. 70 to A. 1029-1910) / Murray Bequest (A. 1030 to A. 1096-1910)'. In: List of Works of Art Acquired by the Victoria and Albert Museum (Department of Architecture and Sculpture). London: Printed under the Authority of his Majesty's Stationery Office, by Eyre and Spottiswoode, Limited, East Harding Street, EC, p. 75
  • Maclagan, Eric. Catalogue of Italian Plaquettes . London: Victoria and Albert Museum, 1924, p. 55
  • Fulton, Christopher, B. "The Master IO.F.F. and the Function of Plaquettes". In: Studies in the History of Art, Italian Plaquettes, Vol. 22, 1985, pp. 143-162.
Collection
Sculpture Collection
Accession number
A.471-1910

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Record createdJune 24, 2009
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O312178/an-allegorical-subject-plaquette-master-ioff/
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