Buckler of Ercole II d'Este

This buckler has a wooden base covered with leather embossed and blackened. It was made on the occasion of the marriage in 1528 of Ercole II d’Este (1508-1559), the son of Alfonso I and Lucretia Borgia, to Renata (1510-1575), daughter of Louis XII, King of France, and Anne of Brittany. In the central tondo, enclosed by a laurel wreath, the young Ercole listens to the teachings of his father. Between them are entwined two vines, a symbol of marriage. In the border appear allegorical figures of virtue alluding to the prosperity of the state and good government: Abundance, Strength, Wisdom and Temperance. A scroll bears the inscription “A / ME / SOLO / SI CONVIENE” (“fitting for me alone”). The inner side, covered with embossed leather, bears the Este coat of arms with the arms of France, encircled with the collar of the Order of Saint Michael.