St Sebastian
Relief
ca. 1690 - ca. 1700 (made)
ca. 1690 - ca. 1700 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Both this ivory and A.62-1949 have been described as 'Spanish or Portuguese', and although this is possible, it is difficult to make a more precise attribution. They may not be a pair; iconographically they do not belong together (a New Testament saint and a martyr saint), and the frames differ from one another in certain details. The slightly differing sizes of the frames, as well as the irregularity of the sizes of the lozenges within each may indicate that they were made at a later date. The two figures may however have been carved in the same workshop.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | St Sebastian (generic title) |
| Materials and techniques | Ivory and ebony |
| Brief description | Relief, ivory and ebony, St Sebastian, Spanish or Portuguese, ca. 1690-1700 |
| Physical description | St Sebastian is shown in high relief, dressed in a knotted loincloth, tied to a tree with a textured trunk, his body twisted, looking up to Heaven. The figure is dowelled into a separate ivory base. The frame is ebony and ivory, with black and white lozenges forming the background. |
| Dimensions |
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| Credit line | Given by Dr W. L. Hildburgh, F. S. A. |
| Object history | Given by Dr W. L. Hildburgh, F. S. A. in 1949; formerly on loan from Dr Hildburgh. |
| Historical context | This forms part with the figure of St John the Baptist in a similar frame (V&A, no. A.62-1949). |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Summary | Both this ivory and A.62-1949 have been described as 'Spanish or Portuguese', and although this is possible, it is difficult to make a more precise attribution. They may not be a pair; iconographically they do not belong together (a New Testament saint and a martyr saint), and the frames differ from one another in certain details. The slightly differing sizes of the frames, as well as the irregularity of the sizes of the lozenges within each may indicate that they were made at a later date. The two figures may however have been carved in the same workshop. |
| Associated object | A.62-1949 (Ensemble) |
| Bibliographic reference | Trusted, Marjorie, Baroque & Later Ivories, Victoria & Albert Museum, London, 2013, cat. no. 330, pp. 336, 7 |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | A.61-1949 |
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| Record created | February 26, 2009 |
| Record URL |
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