Portrait of a Man with a Medal of Cosimo the Elder of the Medici family (including, possibly, Cosimo de' Medici himself) or, as he personally felt more likely, Antonio Botticelli, Botticelli's brother. This, he asserts, is based on the strength of the likeness of the youth to Botticelli himself, as portrayed in his "Adoration of the Magi". Antonio Botticelli had also recast and gilded medals, working in the court of the Medicis. However, he would have been about 40 at the time of the portrait. Frederick Hartt suggested it might be Lorenzo di Pierfrancesco de' Medici ("Il Poplano", 1463–1503), whose two certain portraits, both profiles on medals, vary considerably, though one
Adoration of the Magi whose significance is disputed. The Magi are usually shown as the same age until about this period, but then the idea of depicting the three ages of man is introduced: a particularly beautiful example is seen on the façade of the cathedral of Orvieto. Occasionally from the 12th century, and very often in Northern Europe from the 15th, the Magi are also made to represent the three known parts of the world: Balthasar is very commonly cast as a young African or Moor, and old Caspar is given Oriental features or, more often, dress. Melchior represents Europe and middle age.