Gravoir
late 14th century (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This is an ivory gravoir made in the late fourteenth century in North Italy. The head is carved with a group of two lions. As distinguished from the French gravoirs, the shafts of which are straight and round in section, the Italian examples are curved and square in section.
The gravoir, also described as a broche or discernibulum in medieval documents, was used to part the hair and in some cases was worn as a large hairpin.
In the period between 1300 and 1325 workshops in Paris enjoyed a thriving market for secular ivory carvings. They produced mirror-cases, combs and gravoirs (hair parters), often selling them as sets in leather dressing cases. Subjects from romance literature appeared frequently, as did the allegorical Siege of the Castle of Love.
Ivory combs, together with mirror cases and gravoirs for parting the hair, formed an essential part of the trousse de toilette or étui (dressing case) of the typical wealthy lady or gentleman in the Gothic period. Considering the original ubiquity of such combs and in comparison with ivory mirror cases, a surprisingly small number survive from the fourteenth century.
The gravoir, also described as a broche or discernibulum in medieval documents, was used to part the hair and in some cases was worn as a large hairpin.
In the period between 1300 and 1325 workshops in Paris enjoyed a thriving market for secular ivory carvings. They produced mirror-cases, combs and gravoirs (hair parters), often selling them as sets in leather dressing cases. Subjects from romance literature appeared frequently, as did the allegorical Siege of the Castle of Love.
Ivory combs, together with mirror cases and gravoirs for parting the hair, formed an essential part of the trousse de toilette or étui (dressing case) of the typical wealthy lady or gentleman in the Gothic period. Considering the original ubiquity of such combs and in comparison with ivory mirror cases, a surprisingly small number survive from the fourteenth century.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Carved elephant ivory |
| Brief description | Gravoir, carved ivory, head is surmounted by two lions, North Italy, late 14th century |
| Physical description | Two adorsed lions with abundant manes and with their tails curled round their outer hind leg crouch on top of a rectangular capital with stylized leaves. |
| Dimensions |
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| Object history | In the collection of Prince Petr Soltykoff, Paris, until 1851; (Lacroix and Seré 1851, unnumbered plate); bought by John Webb, London, at the Soltykoff sale (Soltykoff 1861, lot 383); purchased from Webb in 1867 for £10. |
| Subject depicted | |
| Summary | This is an ivory gravoir made in the late fourteenth century in North Italy. The head is carved with a group of two lions. As distinguished from the French gravoirs, the shafts of which are straight and round in section, the Italian examples are curved and square in section. The gravoir, also described as a broche or discernibulum in medieval documents, was used to part the hair and in some cases was worn as a large hairpin. In the period between 1300 and 1325 workshops in Paris enjoyed a thriving market for secular ivory carvings. They produced mirror-cases, combs and gravoirs (hair parters), often selling them as sets in leather dressing cases. Subjects from romance literature appeared frequently, as did the allegorical Siege of the Castle of Love. Ivory combs, together with mirror cases and gravoirs for parting the hair, formed an essential part of the trousse de toilette or étui (dressing case) of the typical wealthy lady or gentleman in the Gothic period. Considering the original ubiquity of such combs and in comparison with ivory mirror cases, a surprisingly small number survive from the fourteenth century. |
| Bibliographic references |
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| Collection | |
| Accession number | 287-1867 |
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| Record created | October 18, 2004 |
| Record URL |
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