Battle Scene. Culture: South German or North Italian. Dimensions: Diam. 9.1 cm, wt. 94.54 g.. Date: model third quarter 16th century (cast late 16th or 17th century).This piece is the central decoration of a shield or the foot of a tazza, in the shape of a circular shield decorated with a continuous all'antica battle scene. Such imagery was particularly popular in sixteenth-century Southern Germany, as demonstrated by the prints of Hans Sebald Beham, Barthel Beham, and Jost Amman. The high quality of this composition, with a remarkable variety of poses, suggests that the modeler was inspired by a detailed design (drawing or print) or by a larger model, possibly a shield. These scenes were often used to decorate dagger sheaths, helmets, gorgets, shields, and other forms of arms and armor. The Lehman object is an old aftercast, possibly dating from the late sixteenth or seventeenth century. Museum: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA.