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Plaquette - The Sacrifice of Iphigeneia

The Sacrifice of Iphigeneia

  • Object:

    Plaquette

  • Place of origin:

    Italy (made)

  • Date:

    ca. 1500 (made)

  • Artist/Maker:

    Master I.O.F.F. (artist)

  • Materials and Techniques:

    Bronze

  • Museum number:

    A.469-1910

  • Gallery location:

    In Storage

This plaquette depicting the sacrifice of Iphigenia ia made by the so-called Master IO.F.F. in ca. 1500, in Italy.
Iphigenia was the daughter of Agamemnon, King of Mycenea, who led the forces against Troy. Her father agreed to sacrifice her on Diana's altar to appease the goddess, who kept the Achaean fleet from leaving Aulis for Troy. At the crucial moment Diana substituted her for a deer. She subsequently became one of her priestesses.
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.

Physical description

Iphigenia, naked except for a girdle, standing with her hand raised. To the right a warrior with helmet and shield raising his sword to stab her. Behind him a man carrying a trophy of arms on a lance. To the left a man (Calchas?); beside him a naked warrior (Agamemnon?) with elaborately decorated helmet and shield, seen from the back. Clouds in the sky.

Place of Origin

Italy (made)

Date

ca. 1500 (made)

Artist/maker

Master I.O.F.F. (artist)

Materials and Techniques

Bronze

Dimensions

Diameter: 5.1 cm

Object history note

From the Salting bequest.

Descriptive line

Plaquette, bronze, the Sacrifice of Iphigenia, by the Master IO.F.F., Italy, ca. 1500

Bibliographic References (Citation, Note/Abstract, NAL no)

'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. 54
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.
Pope-Hennessy, John. Renaissance Bronzes from the Samuel H. Kress Collection. Reliefs - Plaquettes - Statuettes - Utensils and Mortars . London: 1965, pp. 34-35, no. 104, fig 130

Materials

Bronze

Subjects depicted

Warrior; Helmet; Trophy; Shield; Man

Categories

Sculpture; Plaques & Plaquettes; Myths & Legends

Collection

Sculpture Collection

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