← North Italian 14th Century

The sculpture is a circular gilded relief with a raised design featuring a profile portrait of a human head at its center. This central image is illustrated in vibrant shades of blue and green, depicting a person's head in profile with short hair, within a quatrefoil-shaped frame. The overall sculpture appears to be made of a metal that has been gilded, giving it a rich gold color. The background intricate pattern consists of geometric shapes, including crosses and lozenge forms, all embossed or engraved into the surface, creating a textured, three-dimensional appearance. The outer edge of the sculpture is bordered by a beaded pattern. It appears mounted on a dark background which enhances the golden hue of the metal.

Costume Ornament with Profile Portrait

North Italian 14th Century · Italian

c. 1380/1400

Medium
repoussé silver, gilded, and translucent enamel, attached to a strip of velvet
Classification
Decorative Art
Period
1300 to 1400
Image size
2001 × 2034px

Description

The sculpture is a circular gilded relief with a raised design featuring a profile portrait of a human head at its center. This central image is illustrated in vibrant shades of blue and green, depicting a person's head in profile with short hair, within a quatrefoil-shaped frame. The overall sculpture appears to be made of a metal that has been gilded, giving it a rich gold color. The background intricate pattern consists of geometric shapes, including crosses and lozenge forms, all embossed or engraved into the surface, creating a textured, three-dimensional appearance. The outer edge of the sculpture is bordered by a beaded pattern. It appears mounted on a dark background which enhances the golden hue of the metal.

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).

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