The Deposition thumbnail 1
The Deposition thumbnail 2
+4
images
Not currently on display at the V&A

The Deposition

Panel
ca. 1320-1350 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

This high relief ivory panel represents the Deposition from the Cross. The body of Christ, which is detached from the cross, is supported by Joseph of Arimathea, behind whom stands the Virgin Mary holding the right arm of Christ. St John stands on the right and in the foreground Nicodemus kneels to remove the nail from Jesus' feet.
This appliqué relief has been pierced, so that the figures so that the figures would have been silhouetted against the different material of a separately-made background. It almost certainly formed part of a retable dedicated to the Passion of Christ


Object details

Categories
Object type
TitleThe Deposition (generic title)
Materials and techniques
Elephant ivory, with traces of paint, in high relief
Brief description
Panel, ivory in relief, The Deposition, French, ca. 1320-1350
Physical description
The body of Christ, which is detached from the Cross, is supported by Joseph of Arimathea, behind whom stands the Virgin holding the right arm of Christ. St John stands on the right, his left hand at his cheek in a gesture of grief, his right hand holding a book. In the foreground Nicodemus, wearing a cap and smith's apron, kneels to remove the nail from Christ's feet with a large pair of pliers. High relief, the background has been cut away.
Dimensions
  • Height: 11.6cm
  • Max. width: 6cm
Credit line
Purchased under the Bequest of Francis Reubell Bryan
Object history
Purchased from Alfred Spero, London, in 1940 (£75); from a small private collection in the West of England.
Subjects depicted
Summary
This high relief ivory panel represents the Deposition from the Cross. The body of Christ, which is detached from the cross, is supported by Joseph of Arimathea, behind whom stands the Virgin Mary holding the right arm of Christ. St John stands on the right and in the foreground Nicodemus kneels to remove the nail from Jesus' feet.
This appliqué relief has been pierced, so that the figures so that the figures would have been silhouetted against the different material of a separately-made background. It almost certainly formed part of a retable dedicated to the Passion of Christ
Bibliographic references
  • Porter, D.A. Ivory Carving in Later Medieval England 1200-1400. State University of New York at Binghampton. PhD Dissertation. 1974. Cat. no. 44, pp.111-2.
  • Images in Ivory: Precious Objects of the Gothic Age. Detroit and Baltimore, Princeton, 1997, p. 153
  • Williamson, Paul and Davies, Glyn, Medieval Ivory Carvings, 1200-1550, (in 2 parts), V&A Publishing, Victoria and Albert Museum, London, 2014 part 1, pp. 118-119
  • Williamson, Paul and Davies, Glyn, Medieval Ivory Carvings, 1200-1550, (in 2 parts), V&A Publishing, Victoria and Albert Museum, London, 2014, part 1, pp. 118-119, cat. no. 35
Collection
Accession number
A.38-1940

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

Record createdJune 24, 2009
Record URL
Download as: JSONIIIF Manifest