SOME MEDALS BY PASTORINO DA SIENA APBY G. F. HILL W

HERE an artist of finer qualities would have suf- fered under the strain of over-production, Pasto- rino, with his extraordi- nary talent for direct and obvious yet withal deli- cate portraiture, was

easily able to satisfy the steady demand for his medals. Their superficial grace won them an extraordinary popularity, and he wasted little or no time in devising the allegorical reverses, for which he seems to have had no aptitude. Thus we have something like two hundred medallic por- traits attributed to him, an unusually large pro- portion being of absolutely indubitable authen- ticity. And it has become a commonplace, when mentioning him, to say that the list of his medals is by no means complete.

I propose to describe a few pieces in the British Museum which give fresh point to this common- place. Mr. Warwick Wroth, who recently re- arranged the collection of Italian medals, suc- ceeded in bringing together a very representative series of works by Pastorino; and to this I have been able to make one or two additions. It is indeed probable that this artist is better repre- sented in the British Museum than in any other collection, especially when regard is had to the number and excellence of the' leads.' Considering the scattered nature of the literature of this subject, it would be rash to say that all the information given below is new; but it is at any rate not to be found in the ordinary standard books on the subject.' The specimens described are all of lead, and, as usual with this artist, have no reverses.

No attempt, so far as I am aware, has been made to discuss the chronological arrangement of Pastorino's medals, with a view to discovering the course of his development. Some sort of classifi- cation is, however, possible. The medals, with a few exceptions, fall, roughly speaking, into two classes. The larger consists of medals with a pearled border placed on a raised beading which encloses the field. They are somewhat more am- bitious than the rest, are on the average of con- siderably greater diameter, and are more frequently signed and dated. They go down as late as 1578 or 1579, and in no case, so far as I know, bear dates earlier than 1552.2 One of them, however, with the portrait of Tullia Tolomei,0 itself un- dated, is proved to be not later than 1551 by a passage in a letter written in that year by one

P. Trappolino to Messer Alessandro Corvini-a passage so pleasing that I make no excuse for quoting it, especially as it seems not to have been mentioned in this connexion before 4 :__

Essendo andato a vedere le cose del Pastorino, mi sono tanto innamorato di un ritratto di piombo d' una Tullia Tolomei, che 6 troppo gran cosa, in fe di gentiluomo. Or pensate come starb quando veda le vive, se quelle che sono senza spirito mi fan questo. Vi dico ben che non ho visto il pidi bel profilo, ne altro ritratto di donna di Siena, ne quel della Valle, ne di una Perugina, che era innamorata del . . . . la quale invero e bellissima, ec., ma questa per6 avanza tutti gli altri. Oh vedete, se i6 son dolce di cuore.

The medals of the other class have no border other than a plain line, but common characteristics are found in their generally small diameter, and in a line (sometimes two lines) incised with com- passes, guiding or enclosing the lettering of the circular inscription. These lines have all the ap- pearance of having been incised before the bust was modelled; indeed it would be difficult if the bust were already modelled to use the compasses without spoiling it, and it is quite possible that the bust was modelled separately from the field of the medal and then applied to it. The existence of several medals of the same period (some perhaps by Pastorino himself) with the incised lines, but without any lettering, suggests that the lettering was sometimes added in the mould. Sometimes, but not always; for on the Diva Lucretia medal in the British Museum it is clear from the 'double- striking' of the letters DIV that the lettering was on the model when it slipped slightly on being impressed in the moulding material.

These medals with the incised lines, and others of the same style, are very seldom signed, and still more seldom dated. The portrait of Girolamo Spannocchi 5 is signed and dated 1540. That of Renea d' Este, which is, however, somewhat ex- ceptional in style and size, and can hardly be grouped with the rest, is signed and dated as late as 1555. Theothers have no dates. A portrait of Girolamo Orsini is dated by circumstances between 1543 and 1545; one of Mario Ruffini (see below) cannot be later than 1548.

A small group of medals has neither the pearled border nor the incised lines. To this group belong the portraits of Alessandro Bonzagni (1553), Gasparo Scaruffa (1554), and Baldassare Vigarani (1554). Again, the medals of Bona Sforza (1556) and of Lucrezia de' Medici d' Este (1558) have both border and incised lines.6

All these facts, chronological and other, com- bine to show that the medals of the less pretend-

1 Armand, Les Medailleurs Italiens, 1883-87 ; Heiss, Les Midail- leurs de la Renaissance, Florence II. 1892.

2 Medals of Lucrezia and Eleonora d' Este, Ottavio Farnese, and M. Fulvia Sergardi de' Spannocchi are of this date. The date 1544, given by Heiss for the medal of Baldassare Vigarani, is a misprint for 1554.

8 Heiss, P1. xv, 19.

4 The whole letter is given by R. H. H. Cust, Giov. Ant. Bazzi, 339, from Bottari, Lett. Pitt. v, 177, No. 42.

6 This person, like ' Fulvia Sergardi de Spanochi,' has not been identified; both of course belonged to the celebrated Sienese family.

6 Of course the use of the pearled border on a beading is not confined to Pastorino; P. P. Galeotti, for instance, combines it with the incised line on some of his medals.

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MEDALS BY PASTORINO DA SIENA

Some Medals by Pastorino da Siena ing class are the earlier. The pearled border, as we have seen, occurs as early as 1551 on the medal of Tullia Tolomei, and it was probably about this time that Pastorino began to use it. Still, he made medals without it as late as 1554 (witness the Scaruffa and Vigarani portraits); but after this period the pearled border seems to have had no rival. The medals made in this latter period of the artist's career are wonderfully clever pieces of portraiture, but they lack, in many cases, the subtlety and refinement of his earlier work.

The medal of' Marius Rufinus' was placed by Mr. Wroth among the medals of Pastorino in the course of the arrangement above mentioned, and comparison with such pieces as the medal of Ippolito d' Este 8 entirely justifies his attribution. Mario Rufini (or Ruffini) was a relative of Paul III, and successively governor of Castel Sant' Angelo, Bishop of Sarno (I544), and Bishop of Melfi (1547). He died in 1548.

In the letter of 1551 quoted above, Trappolino mentions a profile portrait of a lady named della Valle or La Valle. No medal of any such person has hitherto been assigned to Pastorino; but re- cently, in moving a number of unattributed medals, I was struck by the style of a small piece which on examination proved to bear the portraits of one Claudius de Valle and his wife:--

Obv. CLAVDIVS DE VALLE (triangular stops at beginning and end of inscr.). Bearded bust r.; in- cised on the truncation, ?ETA 35 (or 55).

Rev. MARGARITA SIMAI DE VALLE. Bust l., hair in net. Incised on the truncation,

.ETA 22.

The medal, which is of bronze (34 mm. in diameter) is unfortunately not a good specimen, but it is undoubtedly cast from an original made by Pastorino in his earlier period. It has a plain border, and traces of the incised line, and came from the collection of George III. The reverse alone has been described by Armand.9 It is highly probable that this is the portrait referred to by Trappolino.

Another of the Tolomei family portrayed by Pastorino was Lelio,10 a medal of whom (unfortu- nately much damaged by time) I chanced to find at the same time as the della Valle medal :-

LELIVS THOLOMEVS (triangular stops at begin- ing and end of inscr.). Bearded bust r., draped. Style of Pastorino's earlier period, with plain border and incised line. Lead, 35mm. From the collection of George III.

Another medal which on grounds of style must be added to the list of Pastorino's works is

that which represents Marcantonio Borghesi, the father of Paul V.1 It belongs to the earlier period ; the British Museum specimen is of lead, though not a fine cast.

The medal of Jean d'Avanson,12 ambassador at the court of Paul IV, is not new,18 but it has not been included in the list of Pastorino's works. The British Museum specimen is, however, marked on the truncation of the bust with the usual in- cised signature P'. Even apart from this it is quite obviously from Pastorino's hand.

In the medal of' Cassan Ciaussi ' 14 we are able to add one to the few existing Italian portraits of Orientals; although it is but a poor successor to the medals of Mohammed II by Constantius, Gentile Bellini, and Bertoldo. On the truncation is incised ' 1556" P '.' 'Ciaussi' apparently represents the Turkish chawush, meaning a herald, pursuivant, court messenger, or generally an inferior officer connected with the court. Hasan was therefore not a person of any great distinction-too few of Pastorino's sitters were that !-but men in his position were employed on errands of importance. Now at the very time at which this medal was made, Cardinal Carlo Caraffa (another subject of Pastorino's art) effected an alliance with the Sultan on behalf of Paul IV."1 I would conjecture, there- fore, that Hasan came to Italy in connexion with the negotiations for this agreement. Caraffa's own portrait is dated 1557. Hasan is such a common name that it would be waste of time to attempt to identify this officer further. The only Hasan of any distinction about this time seems to have been the Pacha who took part in the siege of Malta in 1565,16 and there is no reason for con- necting the two persons. The portrait lacks deli- cacy and charm; but probably it was difficult to attain these qualities with this subject.

The medal of Bernardino Boiardi17 is a com- panion to the already known medal of Laura Sessi de' Boiardi. Nothing is known of either person, but it has been reasonably conjectured that Laura was related to the poet Matteo Maria, count of Scandiano.18 Her relationship, however, was by marriage (through Bernardino ?), for Sessi seems to have been her maiden name. We may assume that both medals were made at Ferrara, where Pastorino was employed at the Mint from 1554 to 1559, and also in later years. The two medals are unsigned, but of undoubted authenticity.

7 Pl. No. 3; diam. 41'55 mm. 8 Fabriczy, ' Italian Medals' (Eng. Trans.), P1. xxx, 8. 9 iii, p. 275 R. 10 Lelio Tolomei, 'uomo per le virtui ed esquisite qualita sue

rarissimo,' took an active part against the erection of the citadel at Siena, and died in 1551. See Sozzini, 'Diario,' in Arch. Stor. Ital. ii, p. 42, f. 51, and ' Cacciata degli Spagnoli,' ibid. p. 482.

11 Armand, iii, p.249. The authorship of this medal was pointed out to me by Mr. Max Rosenheim.

12 PI. No. i; lead; diam. 575 mm.; from the collection of George III.

18 Armand, iii, p. 287 N. 14 PI. No. 2; lead; diam. 55 mm.; from the Sloane Collection.

Another specimen was recently in the market. 15 Ranke, ' Werke,' xxxvii, p. 191; ' History of the Popes,' i,

p. 201. 16 Hammer-Hellert, ' Hist. de l'Emp. Ottoman' vi, p. 202f. 17 Pl. No. 5; lead; diam. 38"5 mm.; from the collection of

George III. 18 On the descendants of the poet see Tiraboschi, 'Bibl.

Moden,' i, p. 298.

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Some Medals by Pastorino da Siena Girolamo, count of Corbaria (for so the inscrip-

tion on his medal19 is presumably to be explained), was perhaps a member of the Galeffi family, who belonged to Pescia, and were counts of Corvaia and Vallecchia.20 But this is merely a conjecture; after considerable inquiry I have failed to find any details about this family in the sixteenth century. This piece, like the preceding, is unsigned, but will, I am confident, be accepted as Pastorino's by all who know his work.

The medal of Francesco I, second Grand Duke of Tuscany,21 is dated and signed '"

P I1579.' In treatment it corresponds to the medal of Bianca Cappello, who is also represented in three-quarter- face.22 The date of this latter piece has been given in previous publications as 1578. On the British Museum specimen it is, as on Francesco's medal, 1579.28 These medals appear to be the latest from

Pastorino's hand; they are, indeed, far from being his best.

Among the Italian medals in the Berlin Museum I recently found two which have not been hitherto noted as being from the hand of Pastorino. The first is the medal of Antonio Cortesi of San Gimignano,24 of which specimens also exist in the British Museum and in the Florence Cabinet. The Berlin specimen is signed P on the obverse, in the usual place. All three specimens have the same reverse: NE VLTRA VIRES QVIRES, and date 1552, with the fall of PhaZethon. This is one of the rare instances of a medal with a reverse type by our artist. Unfortunately the specimens in Berlin and London, and probably also that in Florence, are poor bronze casts. They belong to the second style.

The second new Pastorino at Berlin is also a poor cast in bronze; 25 it represents the bust to 1. of FRANCISCO PAROLARO' A 'LXVI. It is signed ' P. 1553.

In conclusion, I illustrate Pastorino's medals of Eleonora Calcagnini and Angelo Niccolini,'6 since, although already recorded, they have not been illustrated by Heiss. Both are of lead, but the medal of Eleonora Calcagnini is also gilt.

'9 Fl. No. 4; lead; diam. 39'5 mm.; from the collection of George III.

20 See Muratori, Rer. Ital. Script. xxiv, p. 641; Crollalanza, Diz. Storico-Blasonico under Galeffi. The della Corbara of Orvieto apparently also had the title of counts.

21P1. No. 6; lead; diam. 53-5 mm. From the collection of George III.

22 Heiss, P1. xiii, i. s2 1572,as I at first read it,is impossible for chronological reasons.

Francesco succeeded in 1574, and the title of Grand Duke was not officially confirmed until 1576. Supino (II Medagliere del R. Mus. Naz. di Firenze, No 342) reads the date 1572 On another medal with the same inscription. Of course, as these dates are incised, some of them may have been added at a later date in error.

24 Armand, iii, 248 H; Heiss, Florence II, p. 232; Supino, p. 204, No. 664. The British Museum specimen measures 38'5 mm.

25 Diam. 50 mm. Second style. 26 P1. Nos. 7 and 8.

AN OLD CARVED SPANISH CHEST # BY DR. G. C. WILLIAMSON Af

VERY remarkable carved walnut chest has recently come into the possession of a collec- tor in London, who purchased it during the early part of the year in Granada. It has been for a long period preserved in the private apartments of the

priest of the Capilla Real of that city, and it does not appear to have ever been removed from the precincts of the cathedral since it was first made, until it was purchased by its present owner.

Those persons who have been fortunate enough to visit the Capilla Real will remember the singu- lar painted carvings on the Retablo at either side of the high altar. They have been almost univer- sally accepted as the work of Felipe Vigarni, and are of extraordinary interest. One of them repre- sents the surrender of the Alhambra, and Queen Isabella is depicted riding upon a white palfrey between her husband Ferdinand and the great Cardinal Mendoza, while the other panel records the conversion of the Moors, the reluctant flock in the very act of undergoing the ceremony of baptism. Inasmuch as Ferdinand and Isabella

are buried in the chapel almost opposite to these carvings, they have a very special interest.

The carved chest is believed to have been the work of the same artist. The local tradition is to the effect that it was one of his earliest pieces of wood-carving, and that it attracted the attention of Ferdinand and Isabella, who ordered him to introduce the same two subjects into his work on the Retablo which they had commissioned. Inas- much as the carving of this Retablo represents scenes from the life of our Lord, it would have been quite complete without the addition of these two subjects, which indeed have somewhat the appearance of having been placed there as an after- thought. It is exceedingly interesting, however, to compare the treatment of the same subjects by the same artist on the chest and on the Retablo, and to notice how very clearly the local tradition is borne out by the divergencies which can be traced in the two works.

The lid of the chest represents Boabdil, the last king of the Moors, handing over the keys of his palace on the Alhambra to Ferdinand and Isabella. Boabdil, almost in the centre of the panel, is descending towards the king and queen, with his

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