The Attack on the Castle of Love
Mirror Back
first half nineteenth century (made)
first half nineteenth century (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This is an ivory mirrorback probably made in the first half of the nineteenth century in France. This mirrorback is circular and carved with a representation of the Attack on the Castle of Love. There are reasons for viewing this mirror back with suspicion. The rather dry stlye of the figures, most evident in the carving of the three maidens, indicates the hand of a nineteenth-century copyist.
The Castle of Love is an allegorical representation of the heart of a lady, to be conquered only after a trial of determination, courage and strength, and the image was thus particularly appropriate for the decoration of the accoutrements of beauty and grooming, such as ivory mirror cases and jewel or marriage caskets.
It was one of the most popular images of l'amour courtois in the first half of the fourteenth century.
The subject of the Siege of the Castle of Love appears frequently on secular ivories in the fourteenth century;
The Castle of Love is an allegorical representation of the heart of a lady, to be conquered only after a trial of determination, courage and strength, and the image was thus particularly appropriate for the decoration of the accoutrements of beauty and grooming, such as ivory mirror cases and jewel or marriage caskets.
It was one of the most popular images of l'amour courtois in the first half of the fourteenth century.
The subject of the Siege of the Castle of Love appears frequently on secular ivories in the fourteenth century;
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | The Attack on the Castle of Love (generic title) |
| Materials and techniques | Elephant ivory |
| Brief description | Mirrorback, ivory, the Attack on the Castle of Love, French (Paris), probably first half of the nineteenth century (forgery in style of fourteenth century) |
| Physical description | Circular, with four animals at the corners; covered with a representation of a tournament. Two pairs of mounted knights in chain mail under surcoats and helmets with closed visors confront one another before a castle with a flanking tower while on the battlement above three ladies throw down roses. On the rim are four crawling monsters. |
| Dimensions |
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| Object history | In the collection of Prince Petr Soltykoff, Paris, until 1861; bought by John Webb, London, at the Soltykoff sale (Soltykoff 1861, lot 355); purchased from Webb in 1867 for £48. |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Summary | This is an ivory mirrorback probably made in the first half of the nineteenth century in France. This mirrorback is circular and carved with a representation of the Attack on the Castle of Love. There are reasons for viewing this mirror back with suspicion. The rather dry stlye of the figures, most evident in the carving of the three maidens, indicates the hand of a nineteenth-century copyist. The Castle of Love is an allegorical representation of the heart of a lady, to be conquered only after a trial of determination, courage and strength, and the image was thus particularly appropriate for the decoration of the accoutrements of beauty and grooming, such as ivory mirror cases and jewel or marriage caskets. It was one of the most popular images of l'amour courtois in the first half of the fourteenth century. The subject of the Siege of the Castle of Love appears frequently on secular ivories in the fourteenth century; |
| Bibliographic references |
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| Collection | |
| Accession number | 218-1867 |
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| Record created | June 24, 2009 |
| Record URL |
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