DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.68735#0249
PIER MARIA SERBALDI DA PESCIA
866-8
The intaglio in the Bibliotheque Nationale with a Bacchic scene, known as the
‘Seal of Michelangelo", has in the exergue a small figure fishing, which Murr con-
jectured to be a canting signature; on this slender guess is based the tradition repeated by
all writers on the subject that the intaglio is his work. Vasari says that he was grandissimo
imitatore delle cose antiche. A letter from Noferi Tornabuoni to Lorenzo de’ Medici,
28 Nov. 1491, from Rome, mentions the gem ‘augurio di Romolo et Remolo’, engraved
by Pier Maria in imitation of the antique. A porphyry group of Venus and Cupid at
Florence is signed nETPozMAPiASEnoiEi, and the Anonimo Morelliano (Marcantonio
Michiel) cites a tazza of porphyry by him (ed. Frizzoni, p. 157); to him also are
attributed the porphyry matrices of a medal of Leo X (no. 872 bis). It may be
suggested that the fine medal of ‘Petrus Maria’ by a Florentine hand (see below,
no. 999) represents him.
Letter from Noferi Tornabuoni, Arch. Med. av. il Principato, filza 26, no. 580 (first cited by Milanesi, MS., Siena).
Marcant. Michiel, as above. Vasari, ed. Milanesi, v, p. 370. Mariette, Traite (1750), i, p. 115. R. E. Raspe, Catal. . . .
of . . . Gems ... by James Tassie (1791), i, p. 274. Nagler, Kiinstler-Lexikon, xi, 1841, p. 146. King, Antique Gems
(1872), i, p. 416. Giorn. di Erudiz. Art., Perugia, vi (1877), p. 282. E. Muntz, EAtelier monetaire de Rome in Rev.
Num. (1884), pp. 229-31. E. Babeion, La gravure en pierres fines [1894], PP- 254 f- The same, Catal. des Camees de la
Bibl. Nat. (1897), p. Ixxxviii. The same, Guide ill, au Cab. des Med. (1900), p. 77. Forrer, Diet, of Med., iv (1909),
pp. 459 ff. O. M. Dalton, B. M. Catal. of Engr. Gems of the Post-Class. Period (1915), p. xli. Martinori, Annali della Zecca
di Roma, Alessandro VI, &c. (1918), pp. 17, 29, 33, 47, 64, 77; Leo X, pp. 16, 27, 31. Hill, Rom. Med. (Papers Br. Sch.
at Rome, ix, 1920), p. 53. Habich, Med. d. ital. Ren. (1924), p. 113. H. Gebhart, Gemmen und Kameen (1925), p. 146.
Kris, Steinschneidekunst (1929), pp. 39-41.
JULIUS II.
866. Obv. • 1VLIVS • II • L1GVR • p • M • Bust r., ton-
sured, wearing embroidered cope with figures
in panels of orphrey, and morse with heads
of SS. Peter and Paul. Linear and pearled
borders.
Rev. CONTRA • STIMVLVM | NE’CALCITRES in
exergue. Conversion of St Paul; he, on horse-
back to 1., is struck by lightning and falls
backwards, having dropped his shield (inscribed
2PQ.R) and spear; below the horse, a recumbent
female figure, looking up to 1., where two men,
one carrying shield (charged with Papal
umbrella and crossed-keys ?) hasten away.
Pearled border.
Struck.
Arm. I, 104, 4 (40 mm.); II, in, 10; cp. Ill, 201, c.
Bonanni, i, p. 139, no. 7. Venuti, p. xix; p. 50, no. viii.
Van Mieris, i, p. 442. Cicognara (1824), v, pp. 426 ff.,
Pl. Ixxxv, no. ix. Tres. de Num., Med. pap., Pl. iv, 6 and 5.
Martinori, Annali d. Zecca di Roma, Aless. VI, &c., p. 64 £.
[c. Pl. 139.]
(a, b) Florence, gold and silver, | 37 mm. Sup., no. 225.
(c) London (George III), | 40-5 mm. (d) Rome, Vati-
can, silver, | 37 mm.
The very strong resemblance in technique and style to
the coins issued while Pier Maria was responsible for the
Roman mint leaves little doubt that, as Martinori says, this
medal must be from his hand. It has been variously attri-
buted to Raphael)!) by Venuti, to Caradosso, to Francia.
It has the dryness and leanness which is too often character-
istic of gem-engravers’ work on dies.
Bonanni, following Luckius, supposes the reverse to
refer to the excommunication of Alfonso of Ferrara in 1511;
it has also been associated with the fall of the Bentivoglio
and the acquisition of Bologna. The motto is of course
adapted from Acts ix. 5 or xxvi. 14.
Venuti (p. xix) says that there are two versions of this
Gg [225]
medal, on one of which Saul is bearded, on the other
beardless. Possibly ‘Saulus’ is here a slip of the pen
for ‘ lulius ’. The obverse legend which he gives is lulius
Ligur Papa IIMDVI, corresponding (as his inscriptions
too often do) to nothing extant. The design on the shield
carried by one of the men, according to Mr. Van de Put,
is a facing bearded head.
867. Obv. IVLIVSSECVNDVSLIGVR • P • M • Bust
r., tonsured, bearded, wearing embroidered
cope with floral panels on orphrey, morse with
heads of SS. Peter and Paul. Pearled border.
Rev. CONTRA STIMVLVM &c. Same die as
preceding.
Struck.
Arm. I, 104, 3 (40 mm.); Ill, p. 31. Luckius, p. 21.
Bonanni, i, p. 139, no. 7. Van Mieris, i, p. 442. Tres. de
Num., Med. pap., Pl. iv, 5. Hab., PI. Ixix, 6. [d. Pl. 13g.]
(a) Florence, silver, 37 mm. Litta, Rovere, Giulio II,
no. 8. Sup., no. 224. (b) Naples, 37 mm. Rin., no. 925.
(c) Paris, 36 mm. Cast, (d) T. W. Greene, | 34 mm.
N. Chr. (1913), p. 418.
In the handling of the relief (which is not so low) and in
the lettering, this obverse seems to me to differ much from
the preceding. The fact that the two medals share the same
reverse die does not, in the Papal mint especially, imply
that the two obverses are by the same hand. It is to be
doubted whether this obverse die is contemporary with
Julius.
868. Obv. • IVLIVS • II • LIGVR • P • M • Same die
as no. 866.
Rev. TEMPLVM VI RG LAVRETI and in
exergue MDVllll Facade of the sanctuary of
Loreto. Pearled border.
Struck.
(a) Florence, gold, J 36 mm. Struck. Litta, Rovere,
Giulio II, no. 6. Sup., no. 226. [rev., Pl. 139.]
This appears to be a contemporary piece, both sides
being by the same hand as no. 866.
866-8
The intaglio in the Bibliotheque Nationale with a Bacchic scene, known as the
‘Seal of Michelangelo", has in the exergue a small figure fishing, which Murr con-
jectured to be a canting signature; on this slender guess is based the tradition repeated by
all writers on the subject that the intaglio is his work. Vasari says that he was grandissimo
imitatore delle cose antiche. A letter from Noferi Tornabuoni to Lorenzo de’ Medici,
28 Nov. 1491, from Rome, mentions the gem ‘augurio di Romolo et Remolo’, engraved
by Pier Maria in imitation of the antique. A porphyry group of Venus and Cupid at
Florence is signed nETPozMAPiASEnoiEi, and the Anonimo Morelliano (Marcantonio
Michiel) cites a tazza of porphyry by him (ed. Frizzoni, p. 157); to him also are
attributed the porphyry matrices of a medal of Leo X (no. 872 bis). It may be
suggested that the fine medal of ‘Petrus Maria’ by a Florentine hand (see below,
no. 999) represents him.
Letter from Noferi Tornabuoni, Arch. Med. av. il Principato, filza 26, no. 580 (first cited by Milanesi, MS., Siena).
Marcant. Michiel, as above. Vasari, ed. Milanesi, v, p. 370. Mariette, Traite (1750), i, p. 115. R. E. Raspe, Catal. . . .
of . . . Gems ... by James Tassie (1791), i, p. 274. Nagler, Kiinstler-Lexikon, xi, 1841, p. 146. King, Antique Gems
(1872), i, p. 416. Giorn. di Erudiz. Art., Perugia, vi (1877), p. 282. E. Muntz, EAtelier monetaire de Rome in Rev.
Num. (1884), pp. 229-31. E. Babeion, La gravure en pierres fines [1894], PP- 254 f- The same, Catal. des Camees de la
Bibl. Nat. (1897), p. Ixxxviii. The same, Guide ill, au Cab. des Med. (1900), p. 77. Forrer, Diet, of Med., iv (1909),
pp. 459 ff. O. M. Dalton, B. M. Catal. of Engr. Gems of the Post-Class. Period (1915), p. xli. Martinori, Annali della Zecca
di Roma, Alessandro VI, &c. (1918), pp. 17, 29, 33, 47, 64, 77; Leo X, pp. 16, 27, 31. Hill, Rom. Med. (Papers Br. Sch.
at Rome, ix, 1920), p. 53. Habich, Med. d. ital. Ren. (1924), p. 113. H. Gebhart, Gemmen und Kameen (1925), p. 146.
Kris, Steinschneidekunst (1929), pp. 39-41.
JULIUS II.
866. Obv. • 1VLIVS • II • L1GVR • p • M • Bust r., ton-
sured, wearing embroidered cope with figures
in panels of orphrey, and morse with heads
of SS. Peter and Paul. Linear and pearled
borders.
Rev. CONTRA • STIMVLVM | NE’CALCITRES in
exergue. Conversion of St Paul; he, on horse-
back to 1., is struck by lightning and falls
backwards, having dropped his shield (inscribed
2PQ.R) and spear; below the horse, a recumbent
female figure, looking up to 1., where two men,
one carrying shield (charged with Papal
umbrella and crossed-keys ?) hasten away.
Pearled border.
Struck.
Arm. I, 104, 4 (40 mm.); II, in, 10; cp. Ill, 201, c.
Bonanni, i, p. 139, no. 7. Venuti, p. xix; p. 50, no. viii.
Van Mieris, i, p. 442. Cicognara (1824), v, pp. 426 ff.,
Pl. Ixxxv, no. ix. Tres. de Num., Med. pap., Pl. iv, 6 and 5.
Martinori, Annali d. Zecca di Roma, Aless. VI, &c., p. 64 £.
[c. Pl. 139.]
(a, b) Florence, gold and silver, | 37 mm. Sup., no. 225.
(c) London (George III), | 40-5 mm. (d) Rome, Vati-
can, silver, | 37 mm.
The very strong resemblance in technique and style to
the coins issued while Pier Maria was responsible for the
Roman mint leaves little doubt that, as Martinori says, this
medal must be from his hand. It has been variously attri-
buted to Raphael)!) by Venuti, to Caradosso, to Francia.
It has the dryness and leanness which is too often character-
istic of gem-engravers’ work on dies.
Bonanni, following Luckius, supposes the reverse to
refer to the excommunication of Alfonso of Ferrara in 1511;
it has also been associated with the fall of the Bentivoglio
and the acquisition of Bologna. The motto is of course
adapted from Acts ix. 5 or xxvi. 14.
Venuti (p. xix) says that there are two versions of this
Gg [225]
medal, on one of which Saul is bearded, on the other
beardless. Possibly ‘Saulus’ is here a slip of the pen
for ‘ lulius ’. The obverse legend which he gives is lulius
Ligur Papa IIMDVI, corresponding (as his inscriptions
too often do) to nothing extant. The design on the shield
carried by one of the men, according to Mr. Van de Put,
is a facing bearded head.
867. Obv. IVLIVSSECVNDVSLIGVR • P • M • Bust
r., tonsured, bearded, wearing embroidered
cope with floral panels on orphrey, morse with
heads of SS. Peter and Paul. Pearled border.
Rev. CONTRA STIMVLVM &c. Same die as
preceding.
Struck.
Arm. I, 104, 3 (40 mm.); Ill, p. 31. Luckius, p. 21.
Bonanni, i, p. 139, no. 7. Van Mieris, i, p. 442. Tres. de
Num., Med. pap., Pl. iv, 5. Hab., PI. Ixix, 6. [d. Pl. 13g.]
(a) Florence, silver, 37 mm. Litta, Rovere, Giulio II,
no. 8. Sup., no. 224. (b) Naples, 37 mm. Rin., no. 925.
(c) Paris, 36 mm. Cast, (d) T. W. Greene, | 34 mm.
N. Chr. (1913), p. 418.
In the handling of the relief (which is not so low) and in
the lettering, this obverse seems to me to differ much from
the preceding. The fact that the two medals share the same
reverse die does not, in the Papal mint especially, imply
that the two obverses are by the same hand. It is to be
doubted whether this obverse die is contemporary with
Julius.
868. Obv. • IVLIVS • II • LIGVR • P • M • Same die
as no. 866.
Rev. TEMPLVM VI RG LAVRETI and in
exergue MDVllll Facade of the sanctuary of
Loreto. Pearled border.
Struck.
(a) Florence, gold, J 36 mm. Struck. Litta, Rovere,
Giulio II, no. 6. Sup., no. 226. [rev., Pl. 139.]
This appears to be a contemporary piece, both sides
being by the same hand as no. 866.