Casket, ivory, silver, wood, scenes from the Life of the Virgin, South Netherlandish, ca. 1430-1460

Casket covered with panels of bone, carved with twenty events from the life of the Virgin; the compartments separated by bands of conventionalised foliage sprays. Beginning on the lid, reading from left to right in two rows, the scenes are:
The Offering of Joachim and Anna in the Temple; An Angel appears to Joachim; Joachim with his flocks; The Angel appears to St. Anne; Joachim and Anna meet at the Golden Gate of Jerusalem; the Birth of the Virgin; the Virgin entering the Temple; Inside the Temple. The lock and key are of cut steel.
On the front and sides the scenes are: The Virgin at Prayer; the Virgin weaving; the Virgin fed by an angel; the Marriage of the Virgin and St Joseph; the Virgin goes home with other virgins; the Annunciation; the Nativity of Christ; the Adoration of the Magi.
On the back are the scenes: the Angel appearing to the Shepherds; Linen fold decoration; the Flight to Egypt.
The backgrounds are hatched. The underside is decorated with ivory, stained wood and intarsia in an 8 x 8 checkerboard pattern. The lid of the casket is attached with two modern steel hinges held in place with machined screws, and the interior is entirely lined with modern green velvet.

Purchased through Duralcher Brothers at the sale of the collection of George H. Morland, London (Sale, Christie's, 8 May, 1866, No. 201, for £14 3s 6d). It was stated in the sale catalogue that the casket had previously been in the Soltykoff collection in Paris, but it does not appear ot have been included in the Soltykoff sale of 1861).

This is an ivory casket made in about 1430-1460 in the South Netherlands. The casket depicts twenty scenes from the Life of the Virgin.
Ivory was used all over Europe for religious works of art. It was often combined with precious metals and usually took the form of relief panels, for book covers, portable altars and caskets. An almost unbroken tradition of ivory carving extends from the Roman and Byzantine empires until the end of the 14th century. From about 1250, Paris became the centre of production for figures and reliefs intended for private devotion. Other workshops emerged in Italy and Germany. Venice was one of the centres of ivory carving in Italy. Much of the work was based on French models. Some of the craftsmen may have been trained in Paris as their work often combines French and local styles.

176-1866