Medal — Portrait medal of Faustina Bordoni, Florence, 1723
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
1723
Medal in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London (museum number A.1-1975), made in Florence, dated 1723, attributed to Broccetti, Giuseppe. The museum's brief description reads: Medal, 'Portrait medal of Faustina Bordoni', cast in bronze, by Giuseppe Broccetti, Florence, 1723.
Museum description: Medal, bronze. Obverse: The singer Faustina Bordoni is portrayed in profile, to the right, in an elegant dress, with precious details such as a string of pearls attached with a jewelled brooch in the central part of the neckline of the dress and a further jewel extending from the shoulder. Her hair is gathered in a high bun, adorned with a string of pearls encircling the head like a tiara and a ribbon arranged in a bow.
A light veil flows from her burn down her back. A small section of hair falls loosely in a long ringlet. Inscription along the rim. Signed “IOS·BROCCETTI·” under the truncation of arm. Reverse: A female is depicted in flowing drapery holding a trombone in her left hand and an orb on which stands a bird (perhaps identifiable with a phoenix) in her right. She is seated on a pile of musical instruments including a violin, cello, harp, and lute.
The image is accompanied by the motto “·VNA·AVIS·IN TERRIS·”. Dated at the bottom under the stack of musical instruments… The museum records it as Bronze, measuring Diameter 84.2 mm. 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
Faustina Bordoni (1698-1781) was a renowned and acclaimed venetian singer (mezzosoprano) who performed in the most important European theatres and courts, including in London, where she performed for Georg Friedrich Händel. She played a crucial role in London's theatrical circles: her notorious rivalry with Francesca Cuzzoni created two factions in the London opera-going society. Bordoni’s debut in 1716 in the theatre of San Giovanni Crisostomo in Venice marked the beginning of a brilliant career. In July 1723, Faustina performed at the Teatro della Pergola in Florence in the Flavio Anicio Olibrio by the composer Francesco Gasperini with a libretto by Apostolo Zeno and Pietro Pariati (Van der Linden 2017, p. 24). Faustina was so successful and admired that two medals were made in her honour, cast by Giuseppe Broccetti, with the same portrait on the obverse and two distinct on the reverses. The reverse of the V&A cast shows a female figure, identified by some as the personification of Music (Avery 2000, p. 4) and by others as an allegory of Fame (Johnson 1975, p. 123; Johnson 1990, p. 399; Börner 1997, p. 314: Collezione Chigi Saracini 2005, p. 607; Vannel, Toderi 2006, p. 39; Flaten 2012, p. 69; Zucchini 2021, p. 73), sitting on top of a pile of musical instruments. She holds a trombone in her left hand and an orb on which rests a bird recognisable as a phoenix. The presence of the latter pair of symbols and the name of the effigy suggest a clear allusion to a figurative…
Physical characteristics
- Material
- bronze
- Dimensions
- Diameter 84.2 mm
Technical characteristics
- Technique
- Bronze
- Maker recorded
- Broccetti, Giuseppe
- Place recorded
- Florence
Design
- Inscriptions recorded
- Obverse: "·FAVSTINA· ·BORDONI·"; “IOS·BROCCETTI·” (under the truncation of arm); Reverse: “·VNA·AVIS·IN·TERRIS·”; “MDCCXXXIII” (at the bottom, below the allegorical figure and the instruments)
Identification
- Museum object name
- Medal
- Museum object number
- A.1-1975
- Museum system number
- O312275
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.