Medal — Queen Mary I of England, Milan, ca. 1554
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
ca. 1554
Medal in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London (museum number 722-1865), made in Milan, dated ca. 1554, attributed to Trezzo, Jacopo da. The museum's brief description reads: Medal, bronze, bust of Queen Mary I of England, by Jacopo da Trezzo, Italian (Milan), ca.
1554. Museum description: This is a bronze medal made by Jacopo da Trezzo in Milan, Italy in about 1554. The obverse of this medal shows Queen Mary I of England with a legend. The sculptor, gem-engraver and medallist Jacopo Nizzola Trezzo (b. Milan ca. 1515 - d. Madrid 1589) served Cosimo II de' Medici as gem-cutter. His earliest medal is dated 1550. Later he worked for Philip II of Spain in the Netherlands (1555-1559) and in Madrid (1559-death).
He is highly respected as a gem engraver and his medals were modelled with great esteem and delicacy of detail. Mary Tudor (1516-1558) was the eldest daughter of Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon, his first wife. As Queen Mary I of England she reigned form 1553 until 1558. In those years Mary restored Roman Catholicism after the Protestant reign of her half-brother, exectuting may Protestants dissenters, what gave her the byname ‘Bloody Mary’.
The museum records it as Bronze, measuring Diameter 6.66 cm. These details come from the museum's own record; how far this object represents a wider collectible type has not yet been independently verified.
Evidence at a glance
- Linked sources
- 1
- Photograph views
- 1
- Catalogue references
- 0
Counts describe this entry’s documentation, not authenticity, rarity or completeness. Photographs may show one specimen; check each caption and licence.
Historical context
This is a bronze medal made by Jacopo da Trezzo in Milan, Italy in about 1554. The obverse of this medal shows Queen Mary I of England with a legend. The sculptor, gem-engraver and medallist Jacopo Nizzola Trezzo (b. Milan ca. 1515 - d. Madrid 1589) served Cosimo II de' Medici as gem-cutter. His earliest medal is dated 1550. Later he worked for Philip II of Spain in the Netherlands (1555-1559) and in Madrid (1559-death). He is highly respected as a gem engraver and his medals were modelled with great esteem and delicacy of detail. Mary Tudor (1516-1558) was the eldest daughter of Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon, his first wife. As Queen Mary I of England she reigned form 1553 until 1558. In those years Mary restored Roman Catholicism after the Protestant reign of her half-brother, exectuting may Protestants dissenters, what gave her the byname ‘Bloody Mary’.
Physical characteristics
- Material
- bronze
- Dimensions
- Diameter 6.66 cm
Technical characteristics
- Technique
- Bronze
- Maker recorded
- Trezzo, Jacopo da
- Place recorded
- Milan
Identification
- Museum object name
- Medal
- Museum object number
- 722-1865
- Museum system number
- O154129
Catalogue references
No catalogue numbers recorded. Numbers are only published once transcribed from a verified edition of a standard catalogue — they are never inferred.
Research required
- Research required: confirm the wider type, maker and catalogue references against a specialist reference.