Portrait medal of Sigismondo Pandolfo Malatesta (1417-1468), Lord of Rimini

Sigismondo Pandolfo Malatesta (1417–1468) was a skillful condottiere and the feudal lord of Rimini from 1432 until his death in 1468. A cultivated patron of the arts, he brought illustrious Renaissance artists to Rimini, including the accomplished medalist, architect, and painter Matteo di Pasti, a student of Pisanello. Matteo produced numerous all'antica portrait medals of Malatesta. Here he is portrayed wearing a simple shirt and doublet (rather than armor). The medal's reverse represents the allegory of Fortitude, crowned and dressed in a cuirass; the broken column symbolizes physical strength and the two elephants, a heraldic device of the Malatesta family, represent regal strength, military triumph, and fame.