Pelican in Her Piety [reverse] 1458 - 1464

"Pelican in Her Piety" is a bronze medal by Andrea Guacialoti, an Italian artist, created between 1458 and 1464. The medal depicts a pelican, a bird known for its self-sacrifice, feeding its young with its own blood, a symbol of Christ's sacrifice. The inscription on the medal's edge, "INVENIENTOS SOLVIT ALES THECORDI DISPAVIT DE SIGNVM," refers to the pelican's self-sacrifice. The medal is small, measuring only 5.4 cm in diameter, making it a miniature work of art. This piece showcases Guacialoti's skill in capturing detail and symbolism in a small-scale format, common for devotional medallions of the Renaissance era.