Page 414 - Notiziario del Portale Numismatico dello Stato n. 15/2021

412 Medaglie devozionali della bottega Hamerani

rani products because they are part of the sample collection. They include not only medals
(nos 335-641), but also some crosses, cross elements and various fittings, which could very
probably be selected and ordered in the shop as decorative fittings for devotional books or
missals (nos 318-334). Within this rough outline, the pieces are presented in numerical order,
ascending by the box numbers and within these, listed by inventory numbers.
The catalogue entries contain a basic description of the motif, technical data and a
detailed reproduction of the inscriptions including the maker’s signature (if available). This
is followed by dating, based on the period of activity of the medalist, and on dates of beat-
ifications or canonisations or even on iconographic originals. Then the identifiable pictorial
themes of the reverse/couplings are listed. Here the author relies on the observations of
Servus Gieben, but also considers known or published Hamerani medals. The explanations
in the following “Documentation” are valuable. Here the author has compiled the most im-
portant data on the individual motifs. In the case of blessed and holy persons, dates of life,
religious affiliation and dates of beatification or canonisation are given. In addition, a great
deal of attention is paid to the recognisable originals from the fields of painting, graphics
and sculpture. The accessible models show close connections of the Hamerani engravers to
contemporary art in Rome, Italy and all over Europe and thus sometimes allow to trace the
artistic process of a motif’s creation (see for example Ignatius of Loyola, no. 262). Each cata-
logue entry closes with bibliographical references.
The lists of concordances (pp. 389-394) and various registers and repertories (pp. 395 ff.)
offer a quick orientation and starting points for further study. The list of inscriptions is ex-
tremely helpful, allowing a quick comparison with other material (pp. 400-405) and an over-
view of the sources of the liturgical texts (Appendix I) reproduced on the medals. Finally,
Appendix II provides an overview on the pontificates under which the respective Hamerani
engravers were active (Tab. 1), as well as a compilation of the Blessed and Saints represent-
ed in the sample book with the exact dates of the respective beatification or canonisation
(Tab. 2).
Both volumes are available on-line, open access (Volume 1. https://www.numismati-
cadellostato.it/web/pns/notiziario?idNotiziario=17; Volume 2: https://www.numismaticadel-
lostato.it/web/pns/notiziario?idNotiziario=16) and can be either viewed online or download-
ed in PDF-format.
To conclude, the editors and authors of this two-volumes monograph are to be congrat-
ulated and to be thanked for providing open access to one of the most spectacular discoveries
in the field of medals of the last twenty years. The monograph, and in particular the richly
illustrated catalogue which fills an entire volume, provides comprehensive knowledge of the
sample collection and thus represents the reference work for further research on the produc-
tion of religious medals in the Hamerani workshop in Rome, which has been active for more
than 200 years. Matching the impact and charisma of this workshop of the 17 /18 century,
th
th
the publication is of pan-European significance.
Karin KühtreiBer, thoMaS KühtreiBer

aBBreViazioni BiBliografiche

gieBen g. 2006, Un campionario di 630 medaglie di devozione della bottega Hamerani, “Col-
lectanea Francescana” 76, pp. 253-295.
riSy r., Kanz f. 2019, Ein erster Einblick in neun Jahre archäologische Untersuchungen am
Domplatz von St. Pölten, Niederösterreich, “BMÖ” 35, pp. 27-52.

Campionario delle medaglie devozionali K. e T. Kühtreiber

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