Nomos 23

THE DUTCH REPUBLIC, Holland. Late 17th century. Medal (Silver, 53x47 mm, 22.64 g), an oval, one-sided engraved medal, with an added rim, raised on the obverse, and an integral suspension loop. View of an elegantly dressed young woman (Titian's daughter, Lavinia Vecellio [1530-1561]), wearing a pearl necklace and with jewels in her hair, seen from behind and looking back over her right shoulder, holding, with both hands, an ornamental metal dish - either pewter or silver - heaped with what seem to be autumnal fruits and squashes; engraved on the edge beneath the figure, TIZIAN LAVINIA. Rev. Blank. Apparently extremely rare, probably unique. Very well-engraved and beautifully toned. Extremely fine.

Ex R. Schulman 294, 10 February 1993, 1149, R. Schulman 293, 19 May 1992, 869 and J. Schulman 288, 3 October 1988, 1010.

This medal is a very carefully and skillfully made engraved copy of a painting by Titian of his daughter Lavinia, which was done c. 1555 (that identification, which seems quite rational, is, however, disputed - the painting is also known as a "young woman with a fruit basket"). The actual painting is now in Berlin but it previously seems to have been in the collection of Rudolf II in Prague, where it was captured by Gustavus II Adolphus, from whom it passed to queen Christina of Sweden in 1656. The painting was very popular and printed engravings of it already existed in the 17th century. This is a very rare example of a copy engraved on silver as a special keepsake. For a similar "pocket piece", see the youthful portrait of Charles I, above, lot 334.