Personification of Africa

1580–90
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 520
During the Renaissance, Europeans recognized four continents. Each figure on these plaquettes (60.70.1-.4) personifies one of them. Europe’s clothing and attributes denote empire, military strength, and artistic accomplishments, whereas those of Africa, America, and Asia represent the precious goods that Europeans coveted. Far from accurate representations, this imagery reinforced the fiction of European superiority over other peoples and cultures.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Personification of Africa
  • Date: 1580–90
  • Culture: German
  • Medium: Lead and gilding
  • Dimensions: Diameter: 6 7/8 in. (17.5 cm)
  • Classification: Medals and Plaquettes
  • Credit Line: Rogers Fund, 1960
  • Object Number: 60.70.3
  • Curatorial Department: European Sculpture and Decorative Arts

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Personification of Africa - German - The Metropolitan Museum of Art