dating: early 20th Century provenance: Kingdom of Italy, A lot of two circular plaques made of bronze, on the obverse a bas-relief of the tenor, at the top the inscription 'FRANCESCO TAMAGNO', in one opus 'G. BARONI - MILANO'. The reverse side is smooth, one is marked 'PREMIATA FONDERIA MILANO SARONNO E SMALTERIA G. BARONI'. Francesco Innocenzo Tamagno was born on December 28th, 1850, in Turin, Italy. He developed an interest in music and vocal practice through his involvement with an amateur association and later the oratory of Don Giovanni Bosco (1815-1888) in the nearby village of Valdocco. With a powerful tenor voice, he distinguished himself during these early experiences so much that he was invited to sing at the inauguration of the Basilica of Mary Help of Christians on June 9th, 1868. From 1870 to 1873, he studied at the Turin Musical Lyceum while gaining his first professional experiences: debuting at the Teatro Regio as a chorister in 1870 in a production of 'Les Huguenots' by Eugéne Scribe, Émile Deschamps (1791-1871), and Giacomo Meyerbeer.After a hiatus to complete his military service in 1871, he made his debut in a minor role as Gaspero in 'La colpa del cuore' by Raffaello Berninzone (1828-1924) and Francesco Cortesi (1826-1904) on February 27th, 1872. From 1873, he was managed by theatrical agent Antonio Rosani, who secured him leading roles at the Teatro Bellini in Palermo, where he received valuable vocal technique advice from tenor Antonio Platania.On December 26th, 1877, Tamagno participated in the season opening at La Scala in Milan with 'L'africana' by Scribe and Meyerbeer, earning critical acclaim alongside suggestions to further refine his vocal technique. In May 1878, he embarked on an extensive series of tours in Latin America, significantly contributing to his eventual acclaim. At the end of that year, Tamagno began a clandestine romantic relationship, which led to the birth of his beloved daughter Margherita (1879-1942) the following year.In the early months of 1881, Francesco Tamagno secured an engagement with La Scala for the second version of Giuseppe Verdi's 'Simon Boccanegra,' which featured a revised libretto by Arrigo Boito, based on Francesco Maria Piave's original work. This engagement marked Tamagno's first direct collaboration with Verdi. After another significant collaboration for the debut of the four-act version of 'Don Carlo' in the title role at La Scala in 1884, Tamagno was cast to play the lead in Verdi's new opera, 'Otello,' with a libretto by Boito, thanks to the recommendation of publisher Giulio Ricordi (1840-1912) in 1886.Following extensive and meticulous preparation under Verdi's guidance, Tamagno became a dominant presence in La Scala's season. He performed as Radamès in the opening of 'Aida' on December 26th, 1886, and most notably starred in the world premiere of 'Otello' on February 5th, 1887. The triumphant success of this performance indelibly linked him to the role of Otello, which he would continue to perform frequently throughout the rest of his career.In the following years, Tamagno was highly sought after and received substantial fees for his performances. His final concert took place on March 27th, 1905, at the Circolo degli Artisti in Turin. Plagued by increasingly poor health, he died in Varese on August 31st, 1905. diameter 6.5 - 7.3 cm.