Object Description
Italian, probably Rome
Late 17th or early 18th century
Medal of a saint, probably Saint Benedict
95 mm. x 75 mm.
With small perspex stand for display
This bronze medal, an apparently unique and extremely fine cast with brown patina, shows a haloed saint in a monk’s habit. It likely depicts Saint Benedict (480-547), who is typically portrayed holding a similar processional cross and open book.
In the sixth century AD, Benedict founded twelve monasteries at Subiaco, near Rome. He is famous for writing the ‘Rule of Saint Benedict’, a book containing a set of rules for his fellow monks to follow. Benedict’s ‘Rule’ became the foundational text for Christian monasticism in the Middle Ages.