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Antonia del Balzo

Hope Standing on Vessel
Bronze, cast, 40.8 mm Ø, 29.7 g
By Pier Jacopo Alari Bonacolsi, called Antico, c. 1484/1485.
Obverse:  Bust of Antonio del Balzo facing right, with hair in net, wearing necklace with pendant. Around, DIVA ANTONIA BAVTIA DE GONZ · MAR · (Diva Antonia del Balzo of the Gonzaga, Marchioness).
Reverse:  Winged personification of Hope standing on the prow of a vessel with a broken mast, being drawn to the left by two pegasi. She holds a broken anchor in her right hand and a tattered sail in her left. Above the pegasi flies Amor, as a winged child. Above and around, SVPEREST · M · SPES (Hope only is left to me). Incised on the side of the vessel is MAI PIV (Nevermore), and the artist's signature ANTI is incised in the exergue.

Antonia del Balzo was born in 1461 to Pirro del Balzo, prince of Altamura, and Maria Donata Orsini. She married Gianfrancesco Gonzaga in 1479, they settled in Bozzolo, near Mantua, and together had ten children. Gianfrancesco died in 1496, at which time Antonia moved to Gazzuolo and the court at Bozzolo continued under her son, Pirro. Antonia died in Gazzuolo in 1538.

The reverse of the medal, with broken mast, anchor, and sail, represents the futility of worldly hope. The motto mai più which is incised on the side of the vessel was used by both Antonia and Gianfrancesco, and is also present on a bronze vase in Modena attributed to Antico. The reverse inscription, along with the design of two winged horses drawing the ship, represents the yearning of the soul for Christian Hope.

Provenance:

Paoletti & Bernardi e-Live 2, 11 December 2017, lot 5.

References:

Hill 1930 (Corpus), no. 212

Pollard 2007 (NGA), nos. 112-113

Scher 2019, no. 29

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