Filiberto II le Beau (the Fair), 1480-1504, 8th Duke of Savoy 1497, and Margaret of Austria, 1480-1530, His Wife [obverse] 1502

This bronze medal depicting Philibert II and Margaret of Austria was made in France around the year 1504 by the artist Jean Marende. This object presents the Duke and Duchess of Savoy in profile, facing one another above a row of basket weave. The medal was a popular medium at this time to commemorate an individual or event. These objects would often serve as diplomatic gifts, or be displayed as emblems of wealth and status. In Renaissance Europe, artistic patronage was a key means of demonstrating power. The commissioning of works like this medal served as a visual assertion of the Duke's authority and cultivation. In this case, the double portrait creates an image of marriage as a political act. Note the inscriptions which publicly declare the couple's names and titles. The inclusion of heraldic emblems refers to family lineage and territorial claims. Historians consult inventories, account books, and personal correspondence to reveal the place of these objects in the networks of power that define them.