David and Bathsheba and the Judgement of Paris
Comb
1530-1550 (made)
1530-1550 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This is an ivory comb made in about 1530-1550 in France. The comb represents David's message to Bathsheba on one side and the Judgement of Paris on the other side. The comb is in excellent condition (as if it had never been used).
A very similar comb with the same subjects is in the Louvre (Molinier, Catalogue, No. 157; Koechlin, III, Pl. CXCIV). The particular narrative of the Judgement of Paris seen here is derived from the medieval romance the Historia Destructionis Troiae by Guido delle Colonne, written in Latin in 1287 and widely disseminated in printed form the late fifteenth century onwards.
In the period between 1300 and 1325 workshops in Paris enjoyed a thriving market for secular ivory carvings. They produced mirror-cases, combs and gravoirs (hair parters), often selling them as sets in leather dressing cases. Subjects from romance literature appeared frequently, as did the allegorical Siege of the Castle of Love.
The comb has since the Antiquity been a fundamental tool for personal grooming, used both by men and women. In the Gothic period ivory was often employed for the production of deluxe decorated combs. The Gothic comb is always carved on both faces and consists of two registers of teeth, one fine the other broader, above and below the narrative strips.
Ivory combs, together with mirror cases and gravoirs for parting the hair, formed an essential part of the trousse de toilette or étui (dressing case) of the typical wealthy lady or gentleman in the Gothic period. Considering the original ubiquity of such combs and in comparison with ivory mirror cases, a surprisingly small number survive from the fourteenth century.
A very similar comb with the same subjects is in the Louvre (Molinier, Catalogue, No. 157; Koechlin, III, Pl. CXCIV). The particular narrative of the Judgement of Paris seen here is derived from the medieval romance the Historia Destructionis Troiae by Guido delle Colonne, written in Latin in 1287 and widely disseminated in printed form the late fifteenth century onwards.
In the period between 1300 and 1325 workshops in Paris enjoyed a thriving market for secular ivory carvings. They produced mirror-cases, combs and gravoirs (hair parters), often selling them as sets in leather dressing cases. Subjects from romance literature appeared frequently, as did the allegorical Siege of the Castle of Love.
The comb has since the Antiquity been a fundamental tool for personal grooming, used both by men and women. In the Gothic period ivory was often employed for the production of deluxe decorated combs. The Gothic comb is always carved on both faces and consists of two registers of teeth, one fine the other broader, above and below the narrative strips.
Ivory combs, together with mirror cases and gravoirs for parting the hair, formed an essential part of the trousse de toilette or étui (dressing case) of the typical wealthy lady or gentleman in the Gothic period. Considering the original ubiquity of such combs and in comparison with ivory mirror cases, a surprisingly small number survive from the fourteenth century.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | David and Bathsheba and the Judgement of Paris (generic title) |
| Materials and techniques | Carved elephant ivory comb |
| Brief description | Comb, ivory, on one side David and Bathsheba, on the other the Judgement of Paris, France, ca. 1530-1550 |
| Physical description | Ivory comb carved with foliage and with two compositions; on one side David and Bathsheba, on the other the Judgement or Dream of Paris. In the Dream of Paris a page holds Paris's horse on the right. Mercury holds the apple of discord in his left hand and points to the sleeping Paris, propped against a fountain, with a staff in his right hand; Minerva holds a large arrow, Juno a sword, and Venus a covered cup and a small box. At the sides are panels of thick branches with lush foliage. On the other face is the scene of King David sending his message to Bathsheba: his messenger reaches up to take the note from David on the left, while Bathsheba, attended by three maidservants, bathes at the fountain in the centre; the scene extends into the upper parts of the side panels, while below are leafy and foliate branches. |
| Dimensions |
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| Object history | In the collection of Prince Petr Soltykoff, Paris, until 1861; Soltykoff sale, Paris (Soltykoff 1861, lot 371, bought Jacob); purchased purchased from Edward Rutter, Paris, in 1869 for £40. |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Summary | This is an ivory comb made in about 1530-1550 in France. The comb represents David's message to Bathsheba on one side and the Judgement of Paris on the other side. The comb is in excellent condition (as if it had never been used). A very similar comb with the same subjects is in the Louvre (Molinier, Catalogue, No. 157; Koechlin, III, Pl. CXCIV). The particular narrative of the Judgement of Paris seen here is derived from the medieval romance the Historia Destructionis Troiae by Guido delle Colonne, written in Latin in 1287 and widely disseminated in printed form the late fifteenth century onwards. In the period between 1300 and 1325 workshops in Paris enjoyed a thriving market for secular ivory carvings. They produced mirror-cases, combs and gravoirs (hair parters), often selling them as sets in leather dressing cases. Subjects from romance literature appeared frequently, as did the allegorical Siege of the Castle of Love. The comb has since the Antiquity been a fundamental tool for personal grooming, used both by men and women. In the Gothic period ivory was often employed for the production of deluxe decorated combs. The Gothic comb is always carved on both faces and consists of two registers of teeth, one fine the other broader, above and below the narrative strips. Ivory combs, together with mirror cases and gravoirs for parting the hair, formed an essential part of the trousse de toilette or étui (dressing case) of the typical wealthy lady or gentleman in the Gothic period. Considering the original ubiquity of such combs and in comparison with ivory mirror cases, a surprisingly small number survive from the fourteenth century. |
| Bibliographic references |
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| Collection | |
| Accession number | 468-1869 |
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| Record created | August 29, 2008 |
| Record URL |
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