Medal — Portrait medal of Sir Thomas Dereham, Italy, 1719
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
1719
Medal in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London (museum number A.6-1970), made in Italy, dated 1719, attributed to Selvi, Antonio. The museum's brief description reads: Portrait medal of Sir Thomas Dereham, cast in bronze, by Antonio Selvi, Italian, 1719..
Museum description: Medal, bronze. Obverse, profile bust of Sir Thomas Dereham facing right, wearing a long flowing wig and loosely draped cloak over shirt and necktie. Inscribed, THO. DEREHAM. M. B.- BARONETTVS. AET. A. XXXVI. Reverse, an allegorical group, a half-naked female figure seated on a wheel in the background. In the foreground, Fame (?) holding a laurel-wreath and a staff puts her right hand on the shoulder of a winged male figure.
Inscribed: VIRTVTE. ME. INVOLVO. Dated 1719. The museum records it as Bronze, measuring Diameter 8.6 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 bronze medal depicts Sir Thomas Dereham, facing to the right, wearing a long flowing wig and a loosely draped cloak over a shirt and necktie. On the reverse there is an allegorical scene with a female figure holding a wheel in the background and another figure in the foreground holding a laurel-wreath and a staff, resting her right hand on the shoulder of a winged male figure. Sir Thomas Dereham (1673-1739), was a Catholic convert who lived in Rome where he was part of a circle of English exiles surrounding James III, the Old Pretender. Dereham was a member of the Royal Society and was a keen observer of Italian science.
Physical characteristics
- Material
- bronze
- Dimensions
- Diameter 8.6 cm
Technical characteristics
- Technique
- Bronze
- Maker recorded
- Selvi, Antonio
- Place recorded
- Italy
Identification
- Museum object name
- Medal
- Museum object number
- A.6-1970
- Museum system number
- O312277
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 date against a specialist reference.