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| Plaquette (Germany) Perseus with the Head of Medusa ca. 1575 bronze British Museum |
The bronze plaquette above is about six inches tall. The one below is less than half that size. These little relief sculptures in bronze or lead or copper were fashionable all across Europe mainly during the 15th and 16th centuries. Many served as table or shelf ornaments in cultivated interiors. The smaller ones could also be incorporated as personal adornments, displayed about the body in various ingenious ways. Plaquettes illustrated familiar myths and Biblical episodes, alluded to family identity, represented mottoes or topical allegories.
Marika Leino recently published an ambitious book-length description of this now-obscure creative genre – Fashion, devotion and contemplation: the status and functions of Italian Renaissance plaquettes (Peter Lang, 2012).
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| Plaquette (Italy) Diomedes with the Palladium 15th century bronze British Museum |
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| Plaquette (Padua) Cupid sailing a Boat late 15th century bronze (modeled by Andrea Riccio) British Museum |
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| Plaquette (Genoa) Andrea Doria with Victory & Fame 1541 bronze (attributed to Leone Leoni) British Museum |
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| Plaquette (Genoa) Gianettino Doria as a Roman General offering Sacrifice at a Pagan Altar ca. 1541 copper alloy (modeled by Leone Leoni) British Museum |
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| Plaquette (Italy) Adoration of the Shepherds 16th century lead (attributed to Valerio Belli) British Museum |
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| Plaquette (Italy) Pietà / Lamentation 16th century gilt-bronze British Museum |
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| Plaquette (Padua) St Cecilia playing the Organ ca. 1500 gilt-bronze (modeled by Ulocrino) British Museum |
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| Plaquette (Europe) Pallas Athena no date lead British Museum bequeathed by Sir Hans Sloane |
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| Plaquette (Florence) Marsyas and Apollo with Olympus kneeling 15th century bronze British Museum |
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| Plaquette (Florence) Marsyas and Apollo with Olympus kneeling ca. 1525 bronze British Museum |
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| Plaquette (Italy) Marcus Curtius leaping into the Chasm (Guard from Sword Pommel) ca. 1500 bronze British Museum |
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| Plaquette (Germany) The Muse Euterpe playing a Pipe ca. 1530 lead (modeled by Peter Flötner) British Museum |
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| Plaquette (Europe) Coriolanus supplicated by his Mother 18th century gilt-bronze British Museum |