Plateau
ca. 1516 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This plate was probably made to commemorate the visit of Leo X to Florence in 1516. The elephant, named Hanno, was given to the Pope by King Manoel of Portugal in 1514, although it never visited Florence, dying in Rome in 1516.
Leo X (born Giovanni di Lorenzo de Medici in 1475, Pope 1513-1521) was noted for his extravagant tastes and love of pomp. A great patron of the Arts, Leo X drew to his Court such artists as Michelangelo and Raphael. The glory of his reign, however, was blighted by the spread of the Reformation and the incriminations of Martin Luther.
The depiction of contemporary historical events is rarely found on maiolica, rendering this a particularly interesting scene. Although the Pope's elephant did not make the journey to Florence, it had appeared in Papal processions in Rome. Rumours of the beast and the Pope's love of splendour and parade had obviously spread to Montelupo, and Leo X's visit to the city of his birth was no doubt a great occasion.
Leo X (born Giovanni di Lorenzo de Medici in 1475, Pope 1513-1521) was noted for his extravagant tastes and love of pomp. A great patron of the Arts, Leo X drew to his Court such artists as Michelangelo and Raphael. The glory of his reign, however, was blighted by the spread of the Reformation and the incriminations of Martin Luther.
The depiction of contemporary historical events is rarely found on maiolica, rendering this a particularly interesting scene. Although the Pope's elephant did not make the journey to Florence, it had appeared in Papal processions in Rome. Rumours of the beast and the Pope's love of splendour and parade had obviously spread to Montelupo, and Leo X's visit to the city of his birth was no doubt a great occasion.
Object details
| Category | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Tin-glazed earthenware, painted |
| Brief description | Dish depicting Pope Leo X in procession |
| Physical description | Dish painted in blue, yellow, orange, copper green, dark red, manganese purple, and bluish black. Depicting Pope Leo X in procession. In the act of benediction, he is carried by bearers shoulder-high on a chair, wearing the papal tiara and cope. A band across the middle of the picture is formed by a cavalcade of cardinals and other ecclesiastics mounted on mules, in their hats and robes, followed by laymen and soldiers on horses, one of whom carries a gonfanon with the arms of the Medici; in front of them is an elephant with rider. In the foreground are halberdiers marching to the sound of a drum and pipe, with an ensign carrying the Medici flag, all of them in red, white and green striped livery. |
| Dimensions |
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| Marks and inscriptions | (See Rackham, Bernard: Italian Maiolica. pl.49.( London: Faber and Faber, 1952). See John Steaman, 'The Florentine Estate of Leo X', Journal of the Warburg and Courtauld Institutes, Vol XXXVIII, 1975, pp136-154, especially Appx II. The elephant is identified as 'Hanno', given to Leo in 1514 by the King of Portugal. The elephant never in fact visited Florence but died in Rome in 1516.) |
| Gallery label |
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| Object history | Purchased from Soulages collection Historical significance: The depiction of contemporary historical events is rarely found on maiolica, rendering this a particularly interesting scene. Although the Pope's elephant did not make the journey to Florence, it had appeared in Papal processions in Rome. Rumours of the beast and the Pope's love of splendour and parade had obviously spread to Montelupo, and Leo X's visit to the city of his birth was no doubt a great occasion. |
| Historical context | This plate was probably made to commemorate the visit of Leo X to Florence in 1516. The elephant, named Hanno, was given to the Pope by King Manoel of Portugal in 1514, although it never visited Florence, dying in Rome in 1516. Leo X (born Giovanni di Lorenzo de Medici in 1475, Pope 1513-1521) was noted for his extravagant tastes and love of pomp. A great patron of the Arts, Leo X drew to his Court such artists as Michelangelo and Raphael. The glory of his reign, however, was blighted by the spread of the Reformation and the incriminations of Martin Luther. |
| Production | This anonymous artist can be linked to several other objects, including a plate in the Musée de Cluny, Paris, also with a procession subject. |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Summary | This plate was probably made to commemorate the visit of Leo X to Florence in 1516. The elephant, named Hanno, was given to the Pope by King Manoel of Portugal in 1514, although it never visited Florence, dying in Rome in 1516. Leo X (born Giovanni di Lorenzo de Medici in 1475, Pope 1513-1521) was noted for his extravagant tastes and love of pomp. A great patron of the Arts, Leo X drew to his Court such artists as Michelangelo and Raphael. The glory of his reign, however, was blighted by the spread of the Reformation and the incriminations of Martin Luther. The depiction of contemporary historical events is rarely found on maiolica, rendering this a particularly interesting scene. Although the Pope's elephant did not make the journey to Florence, it had appeared in Papal processions in Rome. Rumours of the beast and the Pope's love of splendour and parade had obviously spread to Montelupo, and Leo X's visit to the city of his birth was no doubt a great occasion. |
| Bibliographic references |
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| Other number | 318 - Rackham (1977) |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | 8928-1863 |
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| Record created | March 14, 2006 |
| Record URL |
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