This is an ivory panel, a cover of a set of writing tablets, made in France (probably Paris) in about 1375-1400. It is carved in low relief with figures under a gothic arcade, seemingly ladies and jesters, playing a game of balance quintain.
This is a popular game of foot jousting, in which one contestant sat on a stool, while their opponent stood. By bracing their feet against one another, the standing contestant would attempt to unseat the opponent. This game was a popular subject for artists throughout the fourteenth century and into the fifteenth. It is most commonly found in manuscripts, for example the English Queen Mary Psaleter in the British Library of about 1310-1320. In ivory though the subject is extremely rare. By the fifteenth century foot quintain has become associated with courtship, as a number if images attest. In the present case, however, there are no romantic associations, and the imagery seems simply to evoke a moment of fun.