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Cardinal Francesco Maria Brancaccio

Bees Emerging from a Dead Lion
Bronze, 81.3 mm Ø, 99.6 g
Johann Jakob Kornmann, called Cormano, dated 1636.
Obverse:  Bust of Cardinal Brancaccio facing right, tonsured, wearing hooded cassock. Around, FRANC · MARIA · S · R · E · CARDINALIS · BRANCATIVS (Francesco Maria, Cardinal of the Holy Roman Church, Brancaccio). Beneach truncation, CORMAN : F · A · 1636 · (Cormano made it in the year 1636).
Reverse:  Bees emerging from the jaws of a dead lion. In the background, ruins. Around, NEC · IPSA · IN · MORTE · RELINQVAM (Even when dead I shall not leave).

Francesco Maria Brancaccio (1592-1675) was born in the Kingdom of Naples and rose to be bishop. He fell into trouble with the local authorities, and fled to Rome, where Pope Urban VIII (born Maffeo Vincenzo Barberini) came to his defense; Brancaccio would be elevated to the cardinalate in 1633.

The reverse references the biblical riddle of Samson from Judges 14:14, "Out of the eater came something to eat. Out of the strong came something sweet." The design also represents the gratitude of Brancaccio to the pope. The Brancaccio coat of arms contains four lion claws, while the bees form part of the Barberini coat of arms.

Provenance:

Fritz Rudolf Künker eLive 67, 19-21 July 2021, lot 462.

References:

Toderi and Vannel 1990b, no. 21

cf. Pollard 2007, no. 553 (obv. only)

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