Lot 74
  • 74

Attributed to Valerio Belli (circa 1468-1546) Italian, probably Rome, first half 16th century

Estimate
15,000 - 20,000 GBP
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Description

  • Intaglio with a Sacrifice to Janus
  • rock crystal, in a turned silver and purple silk snuff box
  • Attributed to Valerio Belli (circa 1468-1546) Italian, probably Rome, first half 16th century

Condition

Overall the condition of the rock crystal is good with minor dirt and wear to the surface consistent with age. There is a chip to the right side of the intaglio next to the woman with cornucopia. There are some barely visible surface abrasions and a few minor nicks to the outside edge of the roundel. There are some minor abrasions to the outside edge including at the top. There is general wear to the 19th-century snuff box.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Catalogue Note

This beautiful and recently rediscovered intaglio is the model for a number of known Renaissance medals. It appears on the reverse of a silver medal of Isabella of Portugal in the Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna, and on the reverse of a medal of Jacopo Sannazaro in the Musei Civici, Brescia. It is also known from medals formerly in the Sylvia Adams Collection and the Max Falk Collection. The model has been published as attributed to Valerio Belli (Donati and Casadio, op. cit., nos. 3 and 224). Valerio Belli was notably commissioned to make a dagger for the writer and commentator Pietro Aretino, as a gift for Federico II Gonzaga, Duke of Mantua. Tantalisingly, the present model also appears as a bronze roundel with traces of gilding inset into the pommel of a dagger in the Museo Bardini, Florence (inv. no. 341, Vannel, op. cit., p.150, no.182). The commission is documented in several letters between Pietro Aretino and the Federico II on September 10, October 2 and 23, 1529 (Luzio, op. cit., D'Arco, op. cit.).  Valerio Belli also obtained Parmigiano's famous Self-Portrait in a Convex Mirror from Pietro Aretino. Although both the dagger commission and exchange of Parmigiano's painting likely occurred during the same period, it is not certain if these events are related. Aretino arrived in Venice as an exile from the Roman court circa March 25, 1527 and Valerio Belli moved away from Venice to Vincenza in March 10, 1530 to work on several important commissions from Rome. best comparison for the present rock crystal is the Medallion, a Roman Sacrifice in the British Museum (Waddesdon Bequest, inv. no. WB. 86), which likewise shows a frieze of all'antica figures before a devotional altar, with a temple structure in the background.

RELATED LITERATURE
H. Burns, M. Collareta and D. Gasparotto, Valerio Belli Vicentino (1468c-1546), Vicenza, 2000, p.318, no. 15;  V.Donati and R. Casadio, Bronzi e pietre dure nelle incisioni di Valerio Belli vicentino, Ferrara, 2004, p. 180, no. 3 & no. 224; L.Alessandro, Pietro Aretino nei primi suoi anni a Venezia e la corte dei Gonzaga, 1888, p.83-84, Letters XXI & XXII; C.D'Arco, Delle arti e degli artefici di Mantova,  Vol II, 1857, p.106, Letter 136; G.Toderi and F.Vannel, Medaglie e placchette del Museo Bardini di Firenze, 1998, p 150 n.182