Isotta degli Atti of Rimini 1446

This bronze portrait medal was created by Matteo de' Pasti in fifteenth-century Italy. Bronze is an alloy of copper and tin, a strong and relatively inexpensive material, ideal for casting. Medals like these were typically made using the lost-wax method, where a wax model is encased in plaster, melted out, and then molten bronze is poured into the resulting cavity. The processes involved in making bronze objects are quite labour-intensive and require a range of skills. Mining the ores, smelting the metal, modelling and casting it, and then chasing and finishing the surface. This division of labour reflects the growth of specialized workshops during the Renaissance period. Bronze medals like these would have served a commemorative function, demonstrating the wealth and status of the sitter. By focusing on the material and processes involved in its making, we recognize that the value of this object is not only in its artistic and historical significance, but also in the demonstration of the skills and resources that made its creation possible.