We talked in class Wednesday about birth trays. These objects were typically given as a gift to a family commemorating the birth of a child. The most famous example of this art form is The Triumph of Fame by Giovanni di ser Giovanni Guidi, known as Lo Scheggia (literally “The Splinter”). This small panel, created in 1449, was given to the Medici family to mark the birth of their son, Lorenzo. On the back of the birth tray the coat of arms of the child’s parents are displayed.
The Triumph of Fame, Lo Scheggia, tempera, silver, and gold on panel, 1449
Lo Scheggia made many more birth trays in his career, some depicting putti, chubby male infants similar to cherubs but without a religious aspect. These putti are frequently seen fighting on these birth trays. Fighting was actually a popular pastime in fifteenth-century Florence and had standardized rules. In the game civettino, for instance, an individual attempted to avoid the slaps of two opponents while holding down their feet.
The putti seen on the artist’s birth trays must be playing a similar game. In the example I give, two, two putti grab each others genitals and step toward each other in a manner that suggests adherence to rules . Both seem pleased at this exchange, the significance of which escapes us but was understood as entertainment by fifteenth-century Florentines.
Putti playing, Lo Scheggia, tempera on wood, 1450
Renaissance Reconsidered 