Truth Escaping from a Book [reverse] c. 1510

This small bronze medal, crafted in Italy between 1510 and 1520 by the artist Mea, captures a pivotal moment: Truth Escaping from a Book. Observe the central figure, a nude woman who is Truth, leaping off a closed book, brandishing a pair of open scissors. The book, a symbol of accumulated knowledge and learning, here imprisons truth until she bravely escapes. The scissors are a symbolic instrument, not of violence, but of liberation, cutting through falsehood and ignorance, freeing Truth. This motif echoes in other works across time, such as the many depictions of Judith holding the head of Holofernes, where the sword symbolizes the triumph over oppression. Consider how the act of 'cutting' can be viewed as a necessary intervention, a painful yet vital act to reveal what is hidden. The medal encapsulates the eternal human struggle between knowledge and truth, and evokes a powerful emotional response. The image reminds us of truth's cyclical journey, constantly breaking free, evolving, and resurfacing throughout history.