Medal Showing John George II, Elector of Saxony, Knight of the Garter
Unknown Artist
1678
Medium
Silver
Dimensions
Diam. 1 15/16 in. (4.9 cm); thickness 1/16 in. (0.2 cm); Wt. 0.9 oz. (25.5 g)
Classification
Miscellaneous-Coins and Medals
Culture
German
Department
Arms and Armor
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Bashford Dean, 1922
Accession Number
22.122.32
Tags
Art Historical Context
This exquisite silver medal, struck in 1678 by an unknown German artist, celebrates John George II, Elector of Saxony (1613–1680), portrayed as a Knight of the Garter. Measuring just under 2 inches in diameter and weighing a delicate 0.9 ounces, it exemplifies the fine craftsmanship of 17th-century commemorative medals. Likely featuring equestrian imagery with men, horses, and dragons—evident from its tags—the obverse probably shows the elector in regal attire, while the reverse may evoke chivalric symbols tied to the prestigious English Order of the Garter, into which he was inducted a decade...