An Apostle thumbnail 1
An Apostle thumbnail 2
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Image of Gallery in South Kensington
On display at V&A South Kensington
Sculpture, Room 111, The Gilbert Bayes Gallery

An Apostle

Plaque
early 5th century (made)
Artist/Maker
Unknown
Place of origin
Rome (made)

This is an ivory panel made in Italy, Rome or Ravenna, in the early 5th century. The panel depicts an Apostle standing in a robe and a clock, which is thrown over his shoulder and around his bended right arm, and holding a scroll in his left hand. The plaque has long been associated with the relief of a standing apostle, of the same size and style, in the Louvre.


Object details

Categories
Access_to_Images 2003
Sculpture
Religion
Christianity
Object type
Plaque
TitleAn Apostle (generic title)
Materials and techniques
Carved ivory
Ivory
Carving
Brief description
Plaque, ivory, depicting an Apostle, made in Rome or Ravenna, early 5th century
Physical description
Carved ivory panel depicting an Apostle standing in a robe and a clock, which is thrown over his shoulder and round his bended right arm, and holding a scroll in his left hand.
Dimensions
  • Height: 11.5cm
  • At base width: 7cm
Style
Late Antique
Object history
In the possession of John Webb, purchased from Webb.
Subjects depicted
Apostle
Halo
Scroll
Summary
This is an ivory panel made in Italy, Rome or Ravenna, in the early 5th century. The panel depicts an Apostle standing in a robe and a clock, which is thrown over his shoulder and around his bended right arm, and holding a scroll in his left hand. The plaque has long been associated with the relief of a standing apostle, of the same size and style, in the Louvre.
Bibliographic references
  • 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
  • Longhurst, Margaret H. Catalogue of Carvings in Ivory. London: Published under the Authority of the Board of Education, 1927-1929, Part I, p. 33
  • Volbach, Wolfgang Fritz. Elfenbeinarbeiten der Spätantike und des frühen Mittelalters. Mainz am Rhein: Von Zabern, 1976, n. 122
  • Ribbert, Marget. Untersuchungen zu den Elfenbeinarbeiten der älteren Metzer Gruppe. Bonn: Verlag M. Wehle, 1992, p. 208, pl. 137
  • Maskell, W. A Description of the Ivories Ancient and Medieval in the South Kensington Museum, London, 1972, p. 111
  • Williamson, Paul. Medieval Ivory Carvings. Early Christian to Romanesque. London, V&A Publishing, Victoria and Albert Museum, 2010, pp. 41, 1, cat.no. 4
Collection
Sculpture Collection
Accession number
272-1867

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Record createdFebruary 11, 2004
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O92601/an-apostle-plaque-unknown/
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