During the period 900-1200, ivories were produced all over Europe, often in monasteries and ecclesiastical or royal courts. The pieces in this drawer were used for liturgical purposes. Ivory carvings appeared on book covers, reliquary caskets, antependia (the panel in front of an altar) and religious icons. The upper half depicts the scene when Christ rode into Jerusalem on an ass. He arrived on the Sunday before Good Friday and was welcomed by the citizens with palm branches. In the lower half St Mary Magdalene is shown anointing Christ’s feet as he sits with his apostles for a meal in the house of Simon.
It has long been recognised that the present plaque is closely related stylistically to a diptych in the Musée de Cluny in Paris and a plaque showing Christ in Majesty with four angels now in the Bayerisches Nationalmuseum in Munich.
Physical description
The obverse plaque:
Christ in the House of Simon and The Entry into Jerusalem: The lower scene shows Christ in the house of the Pharisee Simon, where a sinful woman washes his feet with her tears and dries them with her hair. He sits at a table, on the further side of which reclines a group of guests. In the foreground two servants offer cups of wine. In the upper scene Christ rides forward from the left; in the front are two youths strewing garments, others in the background hold palm branches. Relief in ivory, the two scenes are separated by acanthus foliage, which also forms a border round the whole.
The reverse plaque:
The Ascension and the Baptism. To the left the Virgin stands with arms upraised, the remained of the space being filled with the heads and shoulders of the Apostles. The upper portion of the relief with the figure of Christ is missing. It appears to have been cut away when the relief was later recarved on the other side. Below is the Baptism, the youthful Christ being represented half-length in a shallow basin, with St. John the Baptist standing in front of a tree to the left; an angel looks on from the right. At the bottom is a narrow guilloche border.
Place of Origin
Metz, France (for the obverse, made)
Alto adige, Italy (for the reverse, made)
Date
ca. 870-880 (made)
late 8th to ealry 9th century (made)
Artist/maker
Unknown (production)
Materials and Techniques
Elephant ivory
Dimensions
Height: 13.2 cm, Width: 8.6 cm, Depth: 0.8 cm, Weight: 0.1 kg
Object history note
From the Webb Collection. Formerly in the Soltikoff Collection (Sale, 1861, No.14). Purchased from Webb, £30.
The relief was cut down at the top, losing the upper part of the Ascension which would have shown Christ, when the back was carved in the late ninth century. This face then became the reverse of the plaque, and was probably set into a recess on a book-cover. It is consequently abraded and rubbed at its highest points, especially on the faces and on the bodies of the Virgin and St. John the Baptist. The small triangular section of ivory at the bottom left corner of the plaque seems to have been added to create a square corner. This might indicate that the leaf was carved from a Late Antique diptych. The four holes in the corners were presumably made when the reverse of the plaque was put into use on a book-cover.
Historical context note
It has long been recognised that the present plaque is closely related stylistically to a diptych in the Musée de Cluny in Paris and a plaque showing Christ in Majesty with four angels now in the Bayerisches Nationalmuseum in Munich. The Paris diptych has also been re-carved and its earlier side shaved down, but the outlines of the scenes are still legible and the halos visible.
Descriptive line
Panel, ivory, double-sided, depicting Christ in the House of Simon and the Entry into Jerusalem and on the reverse the Baptism and Ascension of Christ, Metz, ca. 1870-80 and (reverse) probably Alto Adige South Tirol, late 8th to early 9th century
Bibliographic References (Citation, Note/Abstract, NAL no)
Longhurst, Margaret H. Catalogue of Carvings in Ivory. London: Published under the Authority of the Board of Education, 1927-1929. Part I. p. 34.
Williamson, Paul. 2010.
forthcoming
Williamson, Paul. Medieval Ivory Carvings. Early Christian to Romanesque. London, V&A Publishing, Victoria and Albert Museum, 2010, pp. 148-51, cat.no. 35
Exhibition History
Origines du Christianisme dans l'Ancien Évêché de Metz du IVe au XIIe Siècle (Musées de Metz 01/05/1966-31/07/1966)
Production Note
On the back is an earlier carving of the Ascension and the Baptism which is thought to be probably from Alto Adige, South Tirol, dating from the late 8th to the early 9th century.
Materials
Ivory
Techniques
Relief
Subjects depicted
Jesus Christ; Tree; Angel; John (Saint John the Baptist); Mary Magdalene (Saint); The Apostles; Basin
Categories
Sculpture; Religion; Christianity
Collection code
SCP
