During the period 900-1200, ivories were produced all over Europe, often in monasteries and ecclesiastical or royal courts. Pieces such as these were used for liturgical purposes. Ivory carvings appeared on book covers, reliquary caskets, antependia (the panel in front of an altar) and religious icons. This panel and inv.no. 280-1867 may have decorated the frame of a large icon or formed part of a reliquary. They depict (from the top left) three Saints, the parable of the Rich Young Man, Christ and the Woman of Samaria, Christ Healing the Blind Man, the Raising of Lazarus, the Healing of the Demoniac, the Deposition from the Cross, the Entombment, the Incredulity of St Thomas, the Charge to the Apostles, the Death of the Virgin, and three Saints.
Physical description
Six detached ivory panels depicting scenes from the life of Christ.
[Panel] Relief depicts the Virgin on her death-bed surrounded by mourners.
[Panel] Relief depicts Jesus (centre) healing a man possessed by a demon.
[Panel] Relief depicts Thomas placing his hand in the wound of the resurrected Christ.
[Panel] Relief depicts Christ being taken down from the cross.
[Plaque] Relief depicts two men carrying the body of Christ into the tomb.
[Relief] Relief depicts three saints standing.
Place of Origin
Europe (possibly, made)
Istanbul, Turkey (probably, made)
Date
second half of 12th century (made)
Artist/maker
Unknown (production)
Materials and Techniques
Elephant ivory carved in low relief
Dimensions
Height: 4.5 cm each, Width: 5 cm each
[Panel] Height: 4.3 cm, Width: 4.9 cm
[Panel] Height: 4.3 cm, Width: 4.9 cm
[Panel] Height: 4.6 cm, Width: 5.1 cm
[Panel] Height: 4.3 cm, Width: 5 cm
[Relief] Height: 4.4 cm, Width: 5 cm
Object history note
There can be no doubt that the plaques must have belonged to a larger ensemble which would have included more scenes from the Passion of Christ and probably also from his infancy. It is perhaps more likely however that they decorated the frame of a substantial icon, flanking a large central image of Christ or the Virgin and Child, in the manner of several extant icons with accompanying small scenes. Or that they formed part of an icon made up entirely of many smaller images, such as the painted example with no fewer than 36 scenes from the Life of Christ and five images of the Virgin at the top, at Sinai. These types of icon were most commonly seen in the late 11th to 14th centuries. The fact that the plaque with the Dormition of the Virgin is noticeably more rubbed than the others might indicate that the original context of the group was a Marian icon.
In the possession of John Webb, purchased from Webb, £ 10.
Descriptive line
Panel, ivory, Scene from the Life of Christ, Byzantine (probably Constantinople), second half of 12th century
Bibliographic References (Citation, Note/Abstract, NAL no)
Inventory of Art Objects acquired in the Year 1867. Inventory of the Objects in the Art Division of the Museum at South Kensington, arranged According to the Dates of their Acquisition. Vol. 1. London : Printed by George E. Eyre and William Spottiswoode for H.M.S.O., 1868., p. 11.
Goldschmidt, A. and Weitzmann, K. Die byzantinischen Elfenbeinskulpturen des X. - XIII. Jahrhunderts, Zweiter Band: Reliefs, Berlin, 1934 (reprinted, Berlin, 1979), cat.no. 127
Byzance : l'Art Byzantin dans les Collections Publiques Françaises. Paris, 1992. no. 173. Catalogue of the exhibition held Musée National du Louvre, Paris, 1992-1993.
Cutler, Anthony.PProlegomena to the Craft of Ivory Carving in Late Antiquity and the Early Middle Ages. In: Altet, Xavier Barral i, ed. Artistes, Artisans et Production Artistique au Moyen Age, II. Commande et Travail. Paris: Picard, 1987. p. 458. n. 196.
Beckwith, John. Problèmes Posés par Certaines Sculptures sur Ivoire du Haut Moyen Age. Les Monuments Historiques de la France. 12, 1966. pp. 12-17.
Reprinted in Beckwith, John. Studies in Byzantine and Medieval Art. London: Pindar Press, 1989. pp. 284-285.
Williamson, Paul. Medieval Ivory Carvings. Early Christian to Romanesque. London, V&A Publishing, Victoria and Albert Museum, 2010, pp. 140-143 , cat.no. 33
Production Note
The reliefs were formerly described as German work, but they are most likely Byzantine (probably Constantinople)
Materials
Ivory
Techniques
Carving; Bas-relief
Subjects depicted
Mary (Virgin Mary); Saints; Jesus Christ; Thomas
Categories
Sculpture; Religion; Christianity
Collection code
SCP
