Tableman
ca. 1130 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
It is highly likely that the scene refers to a struggle of the sort often described in classical mythology. Because the style of the present piece is extremely close to another piece in the museum (Inv. No. 375-1871) and its dimensions match exactly, there is the possibility that they come from opposing sides of the same set, perhaps differentiated by the treatment of their borders.
The game of tables, or backgammon, was popular in the 11th and 12th centuries. There were 15 counters to each side, and 12th century boards inlaid with bone sections have been excavated at Gloucester and Saint-Denis. About 250 Romanesque tablemen with figurative designs survive. The game was popular throughout Northern Europe and the pieces were made in a number of different centres, with the most productive workshops based in Northern France and Cologne
The game of tables, or backgammon, was popular in the 11th and 12th centuries. There were 15 counters to each side, and 12th century boards inlaid with bone sections have been excavated at Gloucester and Saint-Denis. About 250 Romanesque tablemen with figurative designs survive. The game was popular throughout Northern Europe and the pieces were made in a number of different centres, with the most productive workshops based in Northern France and Cologne
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Walrus ivory |
| Brief description | Tableman, walrus ivory, with mythological beasts, probably English (possibly St Albans), ca. 1130 |
| Physical description | The piece is carved with a scene, framed by a channelled border, in which four men (two with shields) armed with spears are in conflict with two fierce quadrupeds with dragonlike heads. The figures are in deeply cut relief and there are microscopic traces of gilding in the background. A drilled hole has been started and there is a small hole on the back. |
| Dimensions |
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| Object history | In the possession of the Archdeacon on Lincoln in 1848, and stated to have been 'found at Thorney Abbey, Cambridgeshire'. Purchased from the Tortoiseshell and Ivory House Ltd, London, in 1961, £200. |
| Historical context | It is highly likely that the scene refers to a struggle of the sort often described in classical mythology. Because the style of the present piece is extremely close to another piece in the museum (Inv. No. 375-1871) and its dimensions match exactly, there is the possibility that they come from opposing sides of the same set, perhaps differentiated by the treatment of their borders. |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Summary | It is highly likely that the scene refers to a struggle of the sort often described in classical mythology. Because the style of the present piece is extremely close to another piece in the museum (Inv. No. 375-1871) and its dimensions match exactly, there is the possibility that they come from opposing sides of the same set, perhaps differentiated by the treatment of their borders. The game of tables, or backgammon, was popular in the 11th and 12th centuries. There were 15 counters to each side, and 12th century boards inlaid with bone sections have been excavated at Gloucester and Saint-Denis. About 250 Romanesque tablemen with figurative designs survive. The game was popular throughout Northern Europe and the pieces were made in a number of different centres, with the most productive workshops based in Northern France and Cologne |
| Bibliographic references |
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| Collection | |
| Accession number | A.20-1961 |
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| Record created | June 24, 2009 |
| Record URL |
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