Two Warriors on Horseback
Casket Lid
mid 11th century (made)
mid 11th century (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This plaque is from Byzantine (Constantinople), probably from the mid 11th century.
It originally formed the lid of a small casket. There are remains of crimson pigmentation, indicating that the plaque was completely painted in this colour, although probably not originally.
Unusually for Byzantine caskets, this lid is carved from a solid plaque of ivory rather than being constructed from separate elements pegged to a wooden core.
It originally formed the lid of a small casket. There are remains of crimson pigmentation, indicating that the plaque was completely painted in this colour, although probably not originally.
Unusually for Byzantine caskets, this lid is carved from a solid plaque of ivory rather than being constructed from separate elements pegged to a wooden core.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Parts | This object consists of 2 parts. (Some alternative part names are also shown below)
|
| Title | Two Warriors on Horseback (generic title) |
| Materials and techniques | Elephant ivory with traces of paint |
| Brief description | Casket lid, ivory, with warriors on horseback, Byzantine (Constantinople), probably mid 11th century |
| Physical description | Two mounted warriors face each other, the one on the left holding a lance, the other a sword. Both carry round shields on their backs, strapped over their shoulders. Behind each warrior a stubby trunk of a tree emerges from the border. The integral border is composed of interlaced scrolls, with lozenges in the interstices, forming circles filled with leaves, animals, a griffin and birds. |
| Dimensions |
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| Style | |
| Object history | The plaque originally formed the lid of a small casket. There are remains of crimson pigmentation, indicating that the plaque was completely painted in this colour, although probably not originally. From the Salting bequest (1910). |
| Historical context | Unusually for Byzantine caskets, this lid is carved from a solid plaque of ivory rather than being constructed from separate elements pegged to a wooden core. |
| Production | probably mid 11th century |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Summary | This plaque is from Byzantine (Constantinople), probably from the mid 11th century. It originally formed the lid of a small casket. There are remains of crimson pigmentation, indicating that the plaque was completely painted in this colour, although probably not originally. Unusually for Byzantine caskets, this lid is carved from a solid plaque of ivory rather than being constructed from separate elements pegged to a wooden core. |
| Bibliographic references |
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| Collection | |
| Accession number | A.542:1-1910 |
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| Record created | June 24, 2009 |
| Record URL |
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