Bas-relief bust of a young man, shown in left profile. Eagle nose, small eyes and mouth, double chin. Smoothly styled hair, with curled ends, falling down to the nape of the neck. A cap on his head. The chest and part of the arm covered with armour or chainmail. This type of profile portrait was quite popular in Italy in the 15th century, both in sculpture and in painting. Its origins are to be sought in Renaissance medal-making, widely developed during this period and taking its models from ancient coins. An assumption could also be made that originally the bust was part of an architectural decoration. Examples of such decoration made by Sperandio Savelli (1425-1504), a sculptor and prolific medallist at the court of Ferrara, are now in the collections of the Palazzino Marfisa d'Este and the Louvre. On the basis of certain formal similarities to these works, the authorship of the portrait on display is suggested to be that of Sperandio Savelli. [ZPS]