Gioie di Testa - Renaissance Hat Badges

Pinturicchio, Libreria Piccolomini, Wedding scene, Cathedral of Siena: men are
wearing hat badges 

"Gioie di Testa" is a very appropriate Italian description for the jewels that men wore on their hats in Renaissance paintings. This name is most fitting to the cultural paintings' level and the men who are wearing them.

"Gioie di Testa" in Italian literally means "Head jewels", "Jewels of the head".  In the beginning, I called these jewels by the name of brooches. I also described the meaning of these symbols for the men who were wearing them: brooches were representing the triumph of Virtue. Virtue was sealed by a luxury brooch.

I wrote two blog posts about this subject on this blog a few years ago. Blog posts were called: Brooches and the Art of Virtuosity (2012) and  Time for Action! (2013). I have always kept in mind how much I liked these jewels. The most talented artist who could paint "Gioie di Testa" is Pinturicchio, the Italian Renaissance artist who was born in Perugia. He was known as the artist of little things, of details. He was not as famous as Perugino, however, highly inspired the arts & crafts industry in the centuries to follow.

Jeweled gondola. This is the first time
I learned about such a usage of the word: jewel
(from the English teaching book I edited) 

What happens is that only a few days ago I found out what the perfect translation for "Gioie di Testa" could be. I would translate it: "Jewelled hat badges". How did I learn about the words ' jeweled' and 'hat badges'? By interacting with new friends of mine with whom I share my passion for the Italian Renaissance and the history of art.

The term 'jeweled' in particular was used in an Engish teaching book I recently did proofreading of and sent the corrections to the publisher.  'Hat badge' I learned from my friend Rosemary who used it as a description for a piece that is housed in one of my favorite museums in the world, the Metropolitan Museum in New York.

This is a simple example of how the learning process works when applied to something we truly enjoy and by interacting with friends who share interests with us. I find this process extremely interesting and I wanted to share it with you. I hope you enjoyed my blog post.

More about the jeweled gondola in the image on the left: Giovan Battista Scolari, jeweled gondola, 1568, Palazzo Pitti, Florence  Enameled gold, three pearls, three rubies, five (black) diamonds, two emeralds. Curiosity: diamonds were black because they were raw. They still didn't know how to cut diamonds!

A "Gioie di Testa" from the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Partly enameled gold set with diamonds and pearls, c. 1460-80. It represents St. John the Baptist in a Landscape. In English, it's called a hat badge and in French an "Enseigne" (a sign). Evidently, hat badges were worn by French Renaissance men as well.

(Last image description by my friend Rosemary who posted it on the dedicated  Facebook Renaissance art event where you can find more information, images, and curiosities)

(to be continued...will post more when I find hat badges closeups from famous paintings. Could not find much online)

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Gioie di Testa

Pinturicchio, Libreria Piccolomini, Wedding scene, Cathedral of Siena: men are
wearing hat badges 

"Gioie di Testa" is a very appropriate Italian description for the jewels that men wore on their hats in Renaissance paintings. This name is most fitting to the cultural paintings' level and the men who are wearing them.

"Gioie di Testa" in Italian literally means "Head jewels", "Jewels of the head".  In the beginning, I called these jewels by the name of brooches. I also described the meaning of these symbols for the men who were wearing them: brooches were representing the triumph of Virtue. Virtue was sealed by a luxury brooch.

I wrote two blog posts about this subject on this blog a few years ago. Blog posts were called: Brooches and the Art of Virtuosity (2012) and  Time for Action! (2013). I have always kept in mind how much I liked these jewels. The most talented artist who could paint "Gioie di Testa" is Pinturicchio, the Italian Renaissance artist who was born in Perugia. He was known as the artist of little things, of details. He was not as famous as Perugino, however, highly inspired the arts & crafts industry in the centuries to follow.

Jeweled gondola. This is the first time
I learned about such a usage of the word: jewel
(from the English teaching book I edited) 

What happens is that only a few days ago I found out what the perfect translation for "Gioie di Testa" could be. I would translate it: "Jewelled hat badges". How did I learn about the words ' jeweled' and 'hat badges'? By interacting with new friends of mine with whom I share my passion for the Italian Renaissance and the history of art.

The term 'jeweled' in particular was used in an Engish teaching book I recently did proofreading of and sent the corrections to the publisher.  'Hat badge' I learned from my friend Rosemary who used it as a description for a piece that is housed in one of my favorite museums in the world, the Metropolitan Museum in New York.

This is a simple example of how the learning process works when applied to something we truly enjoy and by interacting with friends who share interests with us. I find this process extremely interesting and I wanted to share it with you. I hope you enjoyed my blog post.

More about the jeweled gondola in the image on the left: Giovan Battista Scolari, jeweled gondola, 1568, Palazzo Pitti, Florence  Enameled gold, three pearls, three rubies, five (black) diamonds, two emeralds. Curiosity: diamonds were black because they were raw. They still didn't know how to cut diamonds!

A Gioie di Testa from the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Partly enameled gold set with diamonds and pearls, c. 1460-80. It represents St. John the Baptist in a Landscape. In English, it's called a hat badge and in French an "Enseigne" (a sign). Evidently, hat badges were worn by French Renaissance men as well.

(Last image description by my friend Rosemary who posted it on the dedicated  Facebook Renaissance art event where you can find more information, images, and curiosities)

(to be continued...will post more when I find hat badges closeups from famous paintings. Could not find much online)

Cama® is a cultural brand

FRIENDS OF CAMA's Blog

Renaissance Art Curiosities in Times of Rebirth   

Cama® is a cultural brand inspired by the Italian Renaissance. Like and share our page to join our online events & receive blog posts. 

NEW! Free Italian arts & crafts consulting by sending a message on the Friends of Cama page. 

Brooches and the Art of Virtuosity

Santa Maria dei Fossi  (Holy Mary of the Ditches) was originally
an altarpiece on wood for the church in
Perugia carrying the same name. The work
was commissioned to Pinturicchio on February
14th, 1496 on Valentines' Day.
This Virgin Mary (detail of the central part)
became the prototype of many Madonnas
in the years to follow. The altarpiece
had a great success. 

The brooch that the Virgin Mary is wearing
in the painting of Santa Maria dei Fossi
(ceramic reproduction by Cama Deruta, the sample piece)

In the Renaissance period virtuosity was an art, sealed with brooches of different sizes and dimensions, both men and women could wear them as part of their clothing and confirmed that they were virtuous people, which meant that they were gifted with the art of accomplishing things well.

The Italian artist who best expressed brooches details in paintings was Pinturicchio (Perugia, 1452-Siena, 1513), one of the two major artists who inspired the ceramic art of Deruta, Italy besides Perugino.

Part of Deruta's traditional ceramics is detailed reproductions of paintings on wood, frescoes, and floors, works of art of Renaissance artists, most of the time honoring art cities (i.e. Deruta, Siena, Orvieto). Herewith follows an example of ceramic reproductions of the painting "Santa Maria dei Fossi" by Pinturicchio based on the original altarpiece.

The original altarpiece of Santa Maria dei Fossi, Galleria Nazionale dell'Umbria, Perugia, Italy
Click on the photo for enlargement.

The Peacock  is the symbol of Christ, the upper right decoration
altarpiece of Santa Maria dei Fossi.
(ceramic reproduction by Cama Deruta, the sample piece)

Grotesques from the altarpiece of Santa Maria dei Fossi, the upper right decoration
(ceramic reproduction  by Cama Deruta, the sample piece)

For Cosimo de' Medici - one of the greatest personalities of the Renaissance period in Italy- these are the ingredients for the success of projects and accomplishments: STRENGTH, the virtue of the action (speed), SILENCE, PRUDENCE, PATIENCE and VIGILANCE, virtues of the mind (slowness).

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- Original Posts by Roberta Niccacci -

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Pinturicchio: the artist of the details and of little things

Ceramics reproduction of
a Renaissance broche
originally painted
by artist Pinturicchio. 

Pinturicchio is one of the artists who inspired the ceramics of Deruta along with Perugino as local artists. Pinturicchio was born in Perugia in 1452 and died in Siena in 1513.

He is famous for the details of his works that you may admire in the Cathedral of Siena (on the left side of the Church, the so called "Studio Piccolomini" which is stunning) and in Spello in the Church of Santa Maria Maggiore (on the right side of the street going up to the top of the town) in the Cappella Baglioni as an example as well as at the Umbrian National Gallery in Perugia.

In 2008  upon the celebrations for the 550th anniversary of his birth, Cama reproduced one of his broches, which in the Renaissance was synonymus with virtuosity. Men and women wore broches equally.