Estimate

50.000 - 80.000

Session

4 June 2012

Hammer Price

Description

An extremely rare copper medallion with gold applications.
Portugal, 15th Century.
Inscription: eteroae. leal. amor.

Category

Decorative Objects

Additional Information

The piece now offered for sale was possibly created as a costume application and part of its importance relies on its rarity.
Indeed no similar example is known bearing the letter Y surrounded by an inscription, except for numismatics. For this reason its dating and interpretation are quite challenging. In Portugal the Y letter appears at least since the late 13th century related with the ancient representation of the good and evil dilemma. In that direction the also called Littera Pythagorae became the symbol of Jesus once it is also the first letter of His name: Yesus.
The centre of this tradition was the Mosteiro de Santa Cruz de Coimbra in which the monks followed the Order of Saint Augustine (OSA). In 1399 the Prior D. Afonso Martins emblem was the Y supported by two angels. In the secular society the Y was adopted above all by the Order of Avis. Being this the first letter of the Orders founder (D. João I (1357-1433)) we can nowadays find several coins and reliefs bearing the crowned Y as insignia. Other royal members of the same dynasty adopted this very same insignia.
The insignia represented on the medallion now offered for sale is not crowned. Outside the royal house the Y was commonly adopted as personal insignia by the members of the court. Example of that are D. Fernando de Meneses and his wife D. Brites de Andrade once in their tomb (Santa Clara de Vila do Conde) is represented the couples insignia bearing the Littera Pythagore.
For all of these reasons can be concluded that the representation in the piece now in sale must be interpreted as a personal insignia adopted by a court member of the Avis Dynasty. The inscription, decrypted by Filipa Avellar to whom we thank, confirms this idea emphasized by the beautiful words revealing a devoted love (to God? a Lady? or both?).
Date this piece is probably the biggest challenge of all and for this reason lab analysis were made in order to understand its antiquity. The results were surprising once it was revealed that the ground of the emblem was gilded. This way it would be much easier to read the inscription. This fact is of major relevance to set a date for the work of art once it proves centuries of wear to a point where the gilding traces are only visible through a binocular microscope. No counterfeiting piece would have been gilded and the gold removed to the point where only with laboratory equipment can be found traces gilding.

Wed like to thank Dr. Miguel Metelo Seixas that with his immense knowledge helped us finding the meaning of the Y letter.

Anísio Franco