Saul kneeling before Samuel; the Death of Absalom
Spherical Diptych
ca. 1850 (made)
ca. 1850 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This ivory spherical diptych is in two halves and is carved on the inside on one half with the Old Testament King Saul kneeling before the prophet and spiritual leader of the Israelites, Samuel, who appointed as his successor the young shepherd David. On the other half of the sphere is the death of Absalom. On the outside there is some formal quatrefoil ornament.
The slightly awkward figure-style suggests that the piece was made in Britain in the mid-nineteenth century. It may have been carved from a billiard ball, and was probably intended as a devotional item.
The slightly awkward figure-style suggests that the piece was made in Britain in the mid-nineteenth century. It may have been carved from a billiard ball, and was probably intended as a devotional item.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Saul kneeling before Samuel; the Death of Absalom (generic title) |
| Materials and techniques | Ivory |
| Brief description | Spherical diptych, ivory, Saul kneeling before Samuel; the Death of Absalom, Britain, ca. 1850 |
| Physical description | Biblical scenes, sphere in ivory. In two halves carved on the inside with Saul kneeling before Samuel, and the death of Absalom. On the outside formal quatrefoil ornament. |
| Dimensions |
|
| Credit line | Alfred Williams Hearn Bequest |
| Object history | Given by Mrs. B.M. Bingham, Ashley Gardens, London, in 1931. Formerlyu offered as a gift by Mrs Ellen Hearn as part of the Hearn bequest in 1923. |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Literary reference | The Death of Absalom |
| Summary | This ivory spherical diptych is in two halves and is carved on the inside on one half with the Old Testament King Saul kneeling before the prophet and spiritual leader of the Israelites, Samuel, who appointed as his successor the young shepherd David. On the other half of the sphere is the death of Absalom. On the outside there is some formal quatrefoil ornament. The slightly awkward figure-style suggests that the piece was made in Britain in the mid-nineteenth century. It may have been carved from a billiard ball, and was probably intended as a devotional item. |
| Bibliographic reference | Trusted, Marjorie, Baroque & Later Ivories, Victoria & Albert Museum, London, 2013, cat. no. 191 |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | A.24-1931 |
About this object record
Explore the Collections contains over a million catalogue records, and over half a million images. It is a working database that includes information compiled over the life of the museum. Some of our records may contain offensive and discriminatory language, or reflect outdated ideas, practice and analysis. We are committed to addressing these issues, and to review and update our records accordingly.
You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.
Suggest feedback
You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.
Suggest feedback
| Record created | June 12, 2009 |
| Record URL |
Download as: JSONIIIF Manifest
