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Medal of Pope Clement VII

Medal
1534 (made)
Artist/Maker
Cellini, Benvenuto (maker)
Place of origin
Italy (made)

This bronze medal depicts Clement VII, to the left, bareheaded and wearing a cope. On the reverse side there is an allegorical figure of Peace with a cornucopia buring a trophy of weapons in front of the closed Temple of Janus.

Cellini describes the making of this medal in his autobiography. It alludes to the Peace of Cambray between the rulers of Europe. The medal was begun in 1533 at Rome but the work was interrupted by a trip to Naples and the original dies were shown to the Pope in April 1534. The medal was produced in gold, silver and bronze and the mould is in the Bargello in Florence.


Object details

Category
Coins & Medals
Object type
Medal
TitleMedal of Pope Clement VII
Materials and techniques
Bronze
Bronze
Brief description
Medal pope clement vii/peace burning weapons; Medal, bronze, Italian, 16th cent, Benvenuto Cellini, 1534
Physical description
Medal, bronze. Obverse side, bust to left of Clement, bareheaded and wearing a cope, with the inscription CLEMENS.VII.PONT. MAX. AN. XI. M.D.XXXIII. On the reverse side, there is an allegorical figure of Peace with a cornucopia burning a trophy of weapons in front of the closed Temple of Janus. Signed, BENVENVIV. F. CLAVDVNTNR. BELLI. PORTAE.
Dimensions
  • Diameter: 40mm
Credit line
Given by Mr Michael Hall
Object history
Given by Mr Michael Hall.
Subjects depicted
Peace
Cornucopia
Weapons
Pope Clement VII
Summary
This bronze medal depicts Clement VII, to the left, bareheaded and wearing a cope. On the reverse side there is an allegorical figure of Peace with a cornucopia buring a trophy of weapons in front of the closed Temple of Janus.

Cellini describes the making of this medal in his autobiography. It alludes to the Peace of Cambray between the rulers of Europe. The medal was begun in 1533 at Rome but the work was interrupted by a trip to Naples and the original dies were shown to the Pope in April 1534. The medal was produced in gold, silver and bronze and the mould is in the Bargello in Florence.
Bibliographic references
  • Armand, Alfred, Les médailleurs italiens des quinzième et seizème siècles; essai d'un classement chronologique de ces artistes et d'un catalogue de leurs oevres, par Alfred Armand, Paris, E.Plon et cie, 1879, I, p.32, no. 4.
  • Pollard, J.G, Italian Renaissance Medals in the Museo Nazionale del Bargello, Florence, 1985, Vol. II, pp.973-974.
Collection
Sculpture Collection
Accession number
A.26-1965

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Record createdJune 24, 2009
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O312346/medal-of-pope-clement-vii-medal-cellini-benvenuto/
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