Charlemagne
Medal
ca. 1540 (made)
ca. 1540 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This is a lead medal made by Peter Flötner in Nuremberg in about 1540. The medal has an obverse only which represents the Emperor Charlemagne in armour with mantle and orb. It is from a set of palquettes of the twelve German emperors.
Flötner (ca. 1485-1546) was a sculptor, medallist, cabinetmaker, woodcutter and designer. He worked initially in Augsburg from around 1512 to 1516 before moving to Nuremberg where he became a citizen in 1522. Changes in Flötner's style after around 1530 suggest he may have travelled to Italy. His workshop catered for bell-founders, goldsmiths, pewterers and medallists supplying them with plaques made of lead, tin, bronze and solnhofen limestone. They were used like pattern books. The plaques were arranged in lines and a clay or plaster mould was made from them. In these moulds wax models were cast which were then applied to the outside of the wax models of bells, mortars and tankards before they were cast in metal.
Flötner (ca. 1485-1546) was a sculptor, medallist, cabinetmaker, woodcutter and designer. He worked initially in Augsburg from around 1512 to 1516 before moving to Nuremberg where he became a citizen in 1522. Changes in Flötner's style after around 1530 suggest he may have travelled to Italy. His workshop catered for bell-founders, goldsmiths, pewterers and medallists supplying them with plaques made of lead, tin, bronze and solnhofen limestone. They were used like pattern books. The plaques were arranged in lines and a clay or plaster mould was made from them. In these moulds wax models were cast which were then applied to the outside of the wax models of bells, mortars and tankards before they were cast in metal.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Charlemagne (generic title) |
| Materials and techniques | Lead |
| Brief description | Plaquette, lead, Charlemagne, German (Nuremberg), by Peter Flötner, ca. 1540 |
| Physical description | Oblong; obv. only, the emperor in armour, with mantle and orb. |
| Dimensions |
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| Object history | Provenance: Tross. 140 medals and reliefs were purchased from M. Henri Tross of Paris for £500 by J.C. Robinson for the Museum in 1867. |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Summary | This is a lead medal made by Peter Flötner in Nuremberg in about 1540. The medal has an obverse only which represents the Emperor Charlemagne in armour with mantle and orb. It is from a set of palquettes of the twelve German emperors. Flötner (ca. 1485-1546) was a sculptor, medallist, cabinetmaker, woodcutter and designer. He worked initially in Augsburg from around 1512 to 1516 before moving to Nuremberg where he became a citizen in 1522. Changes in Flötner's style after around 1530 suggest he may have travelled to Italy. His workshop catered for bell-founders, goldsmiths, pewterers and medallists supplying them with plaques made of lead, tin, bronze and solnhofen limestone. They were used like pattern books. The plaques were arranged in lines and a clay or plaster mould was made from them. In these moulds wax models were cast which were then applied to the outside of the wax models of bells, mortars and tankards before they were cast in metal. |
| Associated objects | |
| Bibliographic references |
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| Collection | |
| Accession number | 110-1867 |
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| Record created | January 20, 2004 |
| Record URL |
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