St. James's Auctions
Auction 65 21 Sep 2022
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Italy, Paolo Giovio (1483–1552), historian, biographer and collector, bishop of Nocera, uniface bronze medal, unknown medallist, bust l., caricatured as a satyr, loose mantle around his shoulders, the head a composite portrait incorporating a lion's head, a toad, dolphin, tortoise, snail and ape's head as component parts, without legend, 44.5mm. (Attwood 417; Waddington fig. 7), a sharp and contemporary cast, lightly patinated, on thin flan, edge 'clipped' at top and bottom (from old display mounting), good very fine with the component animals clearly visible, extremely rare
The present satyr's head is often found combined with the composite phallic satyr's head, most often as a poor aftercast on a thick flan. Raymond B. Waddington, "Before Arcimboldo – Composite Portraits on Italian Medals", The Medal, 14, Spring 1989, pp. 12-23, argues the case for the attribution of the portrait on the medal to Paolo Giovo. He illustrates the specimen in the British Museum (also illustrated by Attwood), which has been engraved ATI – LA and expands on the explanation of this and other Atilla medals.
The monument to Paolo Giovo by Francesco da Sangallo can be found in the Basilica of San Lorenzo, Florence.
(Estimate: 200-300 GBP)
The present satyr's head is often found combined with the composite phallic satyr's head, most often as a poor aftercast on a thick flan. Raymond B. Waddington, "Before Arcimboldo – Composite Portraits on Italian Medals", The Medal, 14, Spring 1989, pp. 12-23, argues the case for the attribution of the portrait on the medal to Paolo Giovo. He illustrates the specimen in the British Museum (also illustrated by Attwood), which has been engraved ATI – LA and expands on the explanation of this and other Atilla medals.
The monument to Paolo Giovo by Francesco da Sangallo can be found in the Basilica of San Lorenzo, Florence.
(Estimate: 200-300 GBP)