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View: Obverse

Isotta degli Atti

Matteo de' Pasti (Italian, about 1420–after 1420)
Italian
Renaissance
about 1450
Object Place: Europe, Italy

Medium/Technique Metal; cast bronze
Dimensions Diameter and weight: 85 mm (3 3/8 in.)
Credit Line Lucy Stone Brewer Fund
Accession Number23.207
NOT ON VIEW
CollectionsEurope
ClassificationsNumismaticsMedals

Catalogue Raisonné Hill 167. Kress 59.
DescriptionCircular medal of Isotta degli Atti of Rimini (born 1432/33-1474), mistress and then third wife of Sigismondo Malatesta. Loss above probably due to flawed piercing.

Obverse: Profile bust of Isotta degli Atti looking to proper left, wearing veil over hair; inscribed at edge "·ISOTA·ARIMINENSI·FORMA·ET·VIRTVTE·ITALIE·DECORI·[symbol]".

Reverse: Male elephant looking to proper left; inscribed above "OPVS·MATH[EI·DE·]PASTIS·[symbol]" and below "·M·CCCC·XLVI·".
InscriptionsObverse: Inscribed at edge "·ISOTA·ARIMINENSI·FORMA·ET·VIRTVTE·ITALIE·DECORI·[symbol]" ["To Isotta of Rimini, the ornament of Italy for beauty and virtue"].

Reverse: Inscribed above "OPVS·MATH[EI·DE·]PASTIS·[symbol]" and below "·M·CCCC·XLVI·".
ProvenanceBy 1875, C.C. Perkins, Boston; 1909, transferred from C.C. Perkins to Charles B. Perkins, Boston; 1923, sold by Charles B. Perkins to the MFA for $1000 [see note 1]. (Accession Date: April 5, 1923)

NOTES:
[1] MFA accession numbers 23.202-209 were acquired together for $1000.