Saint John the Baptist
Unknown Artist
ca. 1600
Medium
Gilt bronze
Dimensions
Overall (confirmed, without suspension loop): 4 × 2 13/16 in. (10.2 × 7.1 cm)
Classification
Medals and Plaquettes
Culture
Spanish
Department
European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Joseph G. Reinis, 2012
Accession Number
2012.545.14
Tags
Art Historical Context
This exquisite gilt bronze plaquette, *Saint John the Baptist*, dates to around 1600 and hails from Spain. Measuring just 4 × 2 13/16 inches, it captures the saint in a delicate low-relief sculpture, likely showing him with his iconic attributes: a cross and lambs, symbols of his proclamation "Behold the Lamb of God" and his role as the forerunner of Christ. Crafted by an unknown artist, such small-scale works were prized Renaissance and early Baroque collectibles, often displayed in private cabinets of curiosities or used for personal devotion. Gilt bronze was a favored medium for plaquettes...