The Malatesta Elephant in a Meadow [reverse]
Pasti, Matteo de' · Italian
c. 1453/1455
- Medium
- bronze
- Classification
- Sculpture
- Period
- 1401 to 1500
- Image size
- 3930 × 3930px
Description
This is a round medallion or coin-shaped object made of reddish-brown material, which depicts the profile of an elephant walking towards the right, carved in relief. The elephant has large ears, a long trunk, and tusks that point upwards. The ground beneath the elephant is covered in faint vegetation, and beneath that is the inscription "M.CCCC.XLVI" in Roman numerals at the bottom. There is a hole near the top, possibly for hanging.
Rights & Source
Open access image from the National Gallery of Art, released under its open access program. Metadata via the NGA Open Data Program (CC0).