Statute and Register of the Moneychangers' Guild
by MATTEO DI SER CAMBIO, Manuscript
The picture shows the frontispiece of the Statute and Register of the Moneychangers’ Guild. Beneath the picture with a depiction of the Perugino griffin on a money chest, the miniaturist’s self-portrait can be seen.
In addition to the overall quality of the writing and illumination, the importance of this codex lies in the triplet that can be read at the bottom of paper 3r, just below the portrait of the artist, which says I, Matteo di ser Cambio goldsmith, whom I have portrayed here with the compass in my hand, did write, paint and illuminate this book.
Matteo di ser Cambio, in this register as in the other, very similar one for the Merchants’ Guild, completely renews the iconography of the emblems of the town quarters by replacing the static image of the patron saint with a real-life scene, portrayed as realistically as possible.