Description
A rare 17th Century German gold medal of Albrecht VI of Bavaria (1584-1666), der Leuchtenberger, Landgraf von Bayern-Leuchtenberg, c. 1618, by Alessandro Abondio or Paul Zeggin. Set in a contemporary and decorative floral gold and enamelled mount, with cherub heads to top and bottom; Obverse, bearded portrait bust right, wearing embroidered doublet with lace collar and sash from shoulder to shoulder, ALBE: D:G: CO: PA: RHE: VTRI: BA: DVX. [Albert, by the Grace of God, Count of the Rhineland Palatinate, Duke of Bavaria], Reverse, a drowning man reaches up to a hand extended towards him from the clouds, OPERI. MANVM: TVARVM: PORRIGES DEXTERAM, medal approx. 32mm,(Georg Habich, Die deutschen Schaumunzen des XVI Jahrhunderts, Munich, 1929-34, No. 3596; L. Forrer, Biographical Dictionary of Medallists, London, 1904-30, Vol. VI, pp 722-723; Sammlung Lanna, Rudolph Lepke, Berlin, 16-19 May, 1911, No. 816). Suspended from a gilt metal stand. Albert VI of Bavaria, (13 April 1584 - 5 July 1666), der Leuchtenberger, Landgraf von Bayern-Leuchtenberg, was the son of William V, Duke of Bavaria and Renata of Lorraine. He married Mechthilde von Leuchtenberg (24 October 1588 - 1 June 1634) in 1612, and they had five children. Between 1651-1654 Albert was the regent for his young nephew Elector Ferdinand Maria, Elector of Bavaria. The authorship of the medal is not determined, Habich believes it to be Alessandro Abondio (c. 1580-c. 1653). Abondio worked for Duke Albrecht VI and surviving records attest to a long personal relationship between the artist and his ducal patron and wax portraits of the Duke are recorded. Forrer favours Paul Zeggin (fl c. 1623-1666, when he is believed to have died) who is recorded as producing a number of gold medals all set in enamelled frames. Habich records just two specimens of the medal, both gold and both set in frames, one in Munich where the frame is elaborate, the other in Munich with a simpler frame. The Lanna sale records a third example.