Until the Impressionists changed the view of art to be open to interpretation, paintings were meant to be read like books, with many allegories and symbols used to convey a certain meaning. Jewelry was effectively used as such symbols.

Figure 12. Portrait of Duke Cosimo I de’ Medici, after Baccio Bandinelli (1544) by Niccolo Della Casa.

Niccolo Della Casa’s engraving Portrait of Duke Cosimo I de’ Medici, after Baccio Bandinelli (1544) (Fig. 12) may well catch one’s eye because it is a very detailed, elaborate mixture of the three conventional genres of engraving: the portrait, the battle-print, and the ornament print. Although the portrait seems at first to be a warning to rival families of the Medicean strength in battle, the symbolism engraved in Duke Cosimo I’s armor, shield, helmet, and so on, actually mean to reflect that of the dynasty. The Albizzi family was one of the oldest and noblest families in Florence and had led the Republican government for two generations. However, their love for war took a toll on the taxes and encouraged pacifists to favor Cosimo de’ Medici (not to be mistaken with Cosimo I de’ Medici) instead, and, so, this engraving would appeal to both the violent and peaceful minds. At the upper right (Fig. 13,) a diamond ring “was a Medicean symbol dating back to the time of Piero the Gouty, its hardness connoting the durability of the dynasty” (Waldman, 2005, 276.) This symbol reflected perfectly the state of this dynasty, as the family ruled from the 13th to the 17th century.