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Relief

ca. 1700 (made)
Artist/Maker
Unknown
Place of origin
Florence (made)

This gilded terracotta medallion in relief is representing a cupid in a shell. It is made in Italy, Florence in ca. 1700 by an unknown artist. Cupid is shown seated in a shell, holding festoons of grapes and flowers. Cupid, son of Venus and god of love, can make both men and gods fall in love with each other at will with his arrows, and thus embodies unbridled passion.


Object details

Categories
Medallions
Reliefs
Object type
Relief
Materials and techniques
Terracotta in relief, gilded
Terracotta
Gold
Gilding
Brief description
Medallion in relief, gilt terracotta, representing a cupid in a shell, Italy, Florence, ca. 1700
Physical description
Medallion in relief representing a cupid seated in a shell, holding festoons of grapes and flowers.
Dimensions
  • Diameter: 30.48cm
Object history
Bought, £1 in 1861.
Subjects depicted
Cupid
Shell
Grapes
Flowers
Festoons
Summary
This gilded terracotta medallion in relief is representing a cupid in a shell. It is made in Italy, Florence in ca. 1700 by an unknown artist. Cupid is shown seated in a shell, holding festoons of grapes and flowers. Cupid, son of Venus and god of love, can make both men and gods fall in love with each other at will with his arrows, and thus embodies unbridled passion.
Bibliographic reference
Inventory of Art Objects Acquired in the Year 1861. 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. 25
Collection
Sculpture Collection
Accession number
7655-1861

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Record createdJune 24, 2009
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O312673/relief-unknown/
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