Portrait medal of Sultan Mehmed II (obverse); a Triumphal Chariot (reverse)
model 1480 (old aftercast)
Medium
Bronze
Dimensions
Diam. 9.4 cm, wt. 321.66 g.
Classification
Medals
Department
Robert Lehman Collection
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Robert Lehman Collection, 1975
Accession Number
1975.1.1264
Tags
Art Historical Context
This exquisite bronze portrait medal, crafted by the Renaissance sculptor Bertoldo di Giovanni around 1480 (this is an old aftercast), captures Sultan Mehmed II on the obverse—a powerful Ottoman ruler famed for conquering Constantinople in 1453. Measuring 9.4 cm in diameter and weighing a substantial 321.66 grams, it exemplifies the medal as a Renaissance art form: small-scale, collectible sculptures blending classical antiquity with contemporary portraiture. Bertoldo, a pupil of Donatello and master of intricate bronzes, worked in Mantua for the Gonzaga court, infusing his works with dynamic ...