Sculpture object, ivory, The Mass of St Gregory, the Crucifixion and the Virgin and Child, probably Northern Netherlandish or Lower Rhenish, late 15th century

Carved ivory panel depicting the mass of St Gregory, the Crucifixion and the Virgin and Child. The carving is on an irregularly shaped piece of tusk. On the front side St. Gregory, dressed in a chasuble with cross-shaped orphrey, is represented kneeling before an altar on which are an open book, a chlaice and a candlestick, and, behind, the empty tomb of Christ and the instruments of the Passion (the figure of Christ is missing). Gregory is flanked by two figures of deacons, that on the right holding the saint's papal tiara. On the other side (back) is the Crucifixion (the figure of Christ is again missing) with the Virgin and St. John on the right and St. Mary Magdalene (with her ointment pot in front of her) and Longinus (part of his spear survives in his right hand) on the left. Christ's cruciform nimbus remains on the cross, as does the central part of the titulus, with the letters N.R. (originally INRI). The moon is shown above the right arm of the cross, originally balanced by the sun, now broken away, on the left. On the left end is the Virgin, holding the naked Child in her right arm. She is shown as the woman of the Apocalypse.

Formerly in the collection of J.H. Fitzhenry (1836-1913), London; sold at the Fitzhenry sale, Christie, MAnson & Woods, London, 18 November 1913, lot 23; purchased from Alfred Spero, London, in 1927 (for £18).

This ivory object depicting the Mass of St Gregory, the Crucifixion and the Virgin and Child was probably made in the Northern Netherlands or the Lower Rhine, in the late 15th century. The Mass of St Gregory is frequently found in illuminated manuscripts, but the subject does not apparently occur on any other ivories.
It is difficult satisfactorily to explain the function of this odd sculpture, where every centimetre of the surface has been filled with imagery. The roughly triangular shape and its size might suggest that it was incorporated into the volute of a crozier, but the subject matter would be highly unusual in this context. It is perhaps more likely that it simply stood alone as a small-scale devotional object intended for personal meditation.

A.93-1927