Altarpiece, miniature, central panel with Flagellation, by Annibal Fontana, Italy, ca. 1600, rest of structure, probably by Alfred André, second half of 19th century

Central Panel: the Flagellation. Christ half naked, bound to a column, behind which is an arcade. Four tormentors.
Remaining panels: Scenes from the Life of Christ. From left to right: prophet Moses, the Passage through the Red Sea, the Fall of Manna from Heaven, Moses exhorting the Israelites, the Last Supper, The Agony in the Garden, the Betrayal and the Arrest of Christ, Aaron striking Rock, Aaron before the Well, the Worship of the Brazen Serpent, the prophet Aaron.
The caryatid on the left bears a scroll with inscribed words . The caryatid on the right bears a scroll with inscribed words. Behind the caryatids are panels decorated with symbols of the Passion. In the spandrels above the Flagellation plaque, on the left a small female figure carrying a mirror, on the right a female figure carrying a tablet. In the entablature a central cameo with a reclining female figure looking at a bird rising from a bush. In the pediment,. from left to right, the reclining figure of Temperance, a cameo of a female figure, the Crucifixion, a cameo representing Charity, and a reclining figure representing Justice. Above the pediment, on either side the gable reclining female figures, the one on the left bearing a palm, the one on the right a branch of myrtle.

Salting Bequest

From the Salting bequest.

Alfred André is probably responsible for all parts of the structure (the wood case, the rock crystal columns, the lapis lazuli plaques, the enamels and figures). Just the central panel depicting the Flagellation originates from around 1600 and is made by Annibale Fontana in Italy.

This miniature altar is a work of different hands from different times.
Alfred André is responsible for all parts of the structure (the wood case, the rock crystal columns, the lapis lazuli plaques, the enamels and figures). Just the central panel depicting the Flagellation originates from around 1600 and is made by Annibale Fontana in Italy.
The altarpiece is a typical product of the second half of the 19th century especially made for collectors like Frederic Spitzer, George Salting or Baron Ferdinand Rothschild. This piece was owned by George Salting (b. 1836; d. 1909), an Australian who settled in England. He was a prolific collector in a number of areas, including Chinese and Japanese ceramics and European art. By 1874 his collection had outgrown his residence in St. James's Street, prompting him to lend items to the South Kensington Museum. After his death in 1909, the majority of this astonishing collection passed to the V&A, where it was shown in its own galleries.

C.2464-1910