Caterina Sansedoni Marsili
Old Man Time
Bronze, cast, 92 mm Ø
Attributed to Giovan Francesco Pieri, 1720.
Obverse: Bust of Caterina facing right, hair braided and with pearls, and wearing an embroidered dress. Around, CATHARINA SANSEDONI MARSILI NOB ยท SENENSIS (Caterina Sansedoni Marsili, Sienese Noblewoman); below the bust, 1720.
Reverse: Time, personified as a winged old man, uses a scythe to cut down three women holding, respectively, a mirror, pearls, and a crown. To the right stands Virtue, also winged, with a sun on her chest, a spear in her right hand, and a gold crown in her left. Above, in banner, NON EST VICISSITVDO (There Is No Vicissitude).
Caterina Sansedoni was a Sienese noblewoman who married Alfonso Marsili in 1707. The Marsili were an old family from Siena that had held positions at the court of Tuscany, especially in the noble guards of the Grand Dukes. The reverse design depicts the fleeting nature of earthly things, represented by the three women being struck down by Time. Virtue, however, prevails, and is not affected by the vicissitudes of time. Though unsigned, the medal has been attributed to Giovan Francesco Pieri.
References:
Vannel and Toderi 1987, no. 115