Mehmed II, Sultan of Turkey
Bertoldo di Giovanni
- Art Funded
- 1919
- Dimensions
- Diameter: 9.3 cm
- Presented by
- Henry Van den Bergh through The Art Fund
This bronze medal, one of three bequeathed to the British Museum, depicts a bust-length profile of Mehmed II, Sultan of Turkey (1432-81).
The reverse of the medal commemorates his conquests in Greece, Trebizond and Asia, which are personified by three bound women riding in a chariot led by the Sultan himself. He holds a small figure, probably symbolizing Victory. The chariot itself is drawn by two horses led by the figure of Mars, god of war. The reclining male figure below holding a trident represents the sea, and the woman with a cornucopia, the earth.
Provenance
Collection of S Pozzi