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Borso d'Este

Medal
second half of 15th century (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

This medal represents the bust of Borso d'Este and is made by Amadio da Milano in the second half of the 15th century.

Borso d'Este (1413-1471) was the first Duke of Ferrara from 1450 until his death.

Amadio da Milano was a Milanese medallist, seal engraver, enameller and goldsmith, son of Antonio Amadei da Castronago. He was active as goldsmith for the court of Ferrara from 1437 to 1482. He also made ornaments for a book for Cecilia Gonzaga in 1469.
In his signatures Amadio describes himself as Aurifex (not Artifex, as the word has sometimes been read).


Object details

Categories
Object type
TitleBorso d'Este (generic title)
Materials and techniques
Bronze
Brief description
Medal, bronze, bust of Borso d'Este, by Amadio da Milano, Italy, second half of 15th century
Physical description
Medal depicts on the obverse the head of Borso to the left, cut off just below the collar. Inscription.
On the reverse is a flower with two large leaves, about the stalk of which a dragon is curled. Inscription.
Dimensions
  • Diameter: 5.1cm
Marks and inscriptions
  • 'DOMINVS . BORSIVS . MARCHIO . ESTENSIS' (obverse)
  • 'AMAD . MEDIOLAN . ARFEX . FECT [inscised]' (reverse)
Object history
From the Salting bequest.
Subjects depicted
Summary
This medal represents the bust of Borso d'Este and is made by Amadio da Milano in the second half of the 15th century.

Borso d'Este (1413-1471) was the first Duke of Ferrara from 1450 until his death.

Amadio da Milano was a Milanese medallist, seal engraver, enameller and goldsmith, son of Antonio Amadei da Castronago. He was active as goldsmith for the court of Ferrara from 1437 to 1482. He also made ornaments for a book for Cecilia Gonzaga in 1469.
In his signatures Amadio describes himself as Aurifex (not Artifex, as the word has sometimes been read).
Bibliographic references
  • Pisanello. Le Peintre aux sept vertus. (exh. cat), medal entries by Sylvie de Turckheim-Pey, Paris, 1996 (Musée du Louvre, Paris), p. 380, cat. No. 257, illus. p . 379
  • Hill, George Francis. A Corpus of Italian Medals of the Renaissance, Before Cellini, Volume I, Text. London: British Museum, 1930, no. 69d
  • '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. 18
Collection
Accession number
A.171-1910

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Record createdJune 24, 2009
Record URL
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