Five putti at play
Plaquette
1450-1500 (made)
1450-1500 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Plaquettes are small plaques made of bronze, brass, lead or precious metals. They originated in the 1440s 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 bookbindings. This frequently encountered plaquette has bevelled edges which suggests that it was perhaps part of a casket or sandbox. It may have been associated with a papal gift as the original terracotta matrix was found during the 1876 excavations of the Palazzo Venezia in Rome, the palace of Pope Paul II.
Object details
| Category | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Five putti at play (generic title) |
| Materials and techniques | Bronze |
| Brief description | Plaquette, bronze, Italy (possibly Florence), 1450-1500 |
| Physical description | Plaque, bronze, oblong. Putti at play. To the left a cupid is supporting another who has fallen back frightened by a bearded mask worn by a cupid. To the right are two other cupids, one holding a vase in both hands, and the other is playing a flute. Moulded border. |
| Object history | Bought for £3. |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Summary | Plaquettes are small plaques made of bronze, brass, lead or precious metals. They originated in the 1440s 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 bookbindings. This frequently encountered plaquette has bevelled edges which suggests that it was perhaps part of a casket or sandbox. It may have been associated with a papal gift as the original terracotta matrix was found during the 1876 excavations of the Palazzo Venezia in Rome, the palace of Pope Paul II. |
| Bibliographic references |
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| Collection | |
| Accession number | 81-1891 |
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| Record created | May 10, 2005 |
| Record URL |
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