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Battle Scene
Maker:
Pénicaud, Jean III
(Possibly)
Maker:
Master M. P.
(Possibly)
Circular medallion enamelled in grisaille with a battle scene and gilded
Circular, and slightly convex copper plaque, with a small circular hole at 3 and at 9 o’clock. Copper enamelled in grisaille on a black ground, and gilded. The black enamel appears brownish-red near the edges. The chiaroscuro was produced by the enlevage technique with hatching and cross-hatching in the background and on the horses. The reverse has translucent counter-enamel which appears pinkish-red from the oxydization of the copper beneath it. The enamel has blackened and shrunk away from the two holes. There are several brownish-black speckles in the counter-enamel elsewhere.
The front is decorated with a battle scene. In the foreground there are two rearing horses mounted by warriors wearing Roman armour and helmets. One, on the left, carries a banner, the other, in the middle, is about to slay a nude man standing with his back to the viewer in the right foreground. Behind him is another horseman, clad only in a pleated skirt. Behind them there are fifteen men, wholly or partly visible, some of whom brandish swords. The swords and the horses’ bridles are gold. The edge is white and is encircled by a narrow gold band.
The circular metal alloy mount has a toothed inner edge, and at the top has a circular ring and a loose suspension ring.
History note: Sir Alfred Beit (1903–94); Sotheby’s, 7 October 1948, Catalogue of the celebrated collections of Hispano-Moresque, Italian majolica, bronzes and works of art, p. 4, first part of lot 24; Copper & Adams, London; Louis Colville Gray Clarke MA, Litt. D.(1881-1960), Leckhampton, Cambridge.
Louis.C.G. Clarke Bequest, 1960
Method of acquisition: Bequeathed (1961-04-27) by Clarke, Louis Colville Gray
16th Century, third quarter#
Circa
1550
CE
-
1575
CE
Battle scenes of varying degrees of complexity occur on many small rectangular and circular grisaille plaques. The holes on either side of this roundel, may indicate that it was originally a hat badge, as battle scenes al antica were among the most popular themes for the decoration of this masculine form of jewellery. However, these usually measure between about 4 to 6 cm across, so this is on the large side and may have had another function. It was formerly attributed to an anonymous enameller who sometimes signed his work KIP, but the style is closer to a plaque of Samson killing a Phillistine in the Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore (inv. no. 44.37) attributed by Pierre Verdier to Jean III Pénicaud or to an anonymous master ‘formed in the workshop of the Pénicaud’. A particularly notable point of similarity is the four-toed foot of the mounted warrior in the middle which resembles the foot of a mounted figure in the Walters’ plaque. The treatment of the rearing horses is also comparable. The iconography is reminiscent of a slightly larger medallion initialled 'MP' in the Louvre attributed by Marquet de Vasselot, and Baratte, to the anonymous Master MP. The source of the design on the Fitzwilliam’s medallion has not been found. Two of the horses might have been inspired by those on the right of one of six friezes of cavalry combats engraved c. 1543–45 by Jacques Androuet du Cerceau (c. 1520-86).
Decoration
composed of
enamel
( white, black; clear counter enamel)
gold
Plaque
composed of
copper
Mount
Diameter 4.8 cm
Height 6 cm
Accession number: M.118-1961
Primary reference Number: 156464
Stable URI
Owner or interested party:
The Fitzwilliam Museum
Associated department:
Applied Arts
This record can be cited in the Harvard Bibliographic style using the text below:
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IIIF Manifest
The Fitzwilliam Museum (2024) "Battle Scene" Web page available at: https://collection.beta.fitz.ms/id/object/156464 Accessed: 2024-11-21 19:49:13
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{{cite web|url=https://collection.beta.fitz.ms/id/object/156464
|title=Battle Scene
|author=The Fitzwilliam Museum|accessdate=2024-11-21 19:49:13|publisher=The
University of Cambridge}}
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<div class="text-center">
<figure class="figure">
<img src="https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/imagestore/aa/aa20/M_118_1961_20_281_29.jpg"
alt="Battle Scene"
class="img-fluid" />
<figcaption class="figure-caption text-info">Battle Scene</figcaption>
</figure>
</div>
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