Medal: Niccolo Piccinino
model 1440–41 (possibly cast 19th century)
Medium
Copper alloy with reddish brown patina and traces of dark wax; pierced.
Dimensions
Diam. 8.7 cm, wt. 200.6 g.
Classification
Medals
Department
Robert Lehman Collection
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Robert Lehman Collection, 1975
Accession Number
1975.1.1303
Tags
Art Historical Context
Welcome to the Robert Lehman Collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, you'll find this striking copper alloy medal portraying Niccolò Piccinino, by the master artist PisanelloAntonio di Puccio Pisano) around 1440–41. Though possibly cast in the 19th, it captures the essence of early Renaissance portraiture. Measuring 8.7 cm in diameter and weighing a substantial 200.6 grams, the medal features a reddish brown patina and traces of dark wax with a pierced edge suggesting it was meant to be worn or displayed as a personal talisman. Pisanello, a pioneering Italian artist active in the courts...