Symbol of St. John the Evangelist
Panel
ca. 800 (made)
ca. 800 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This ivory carving depicts an eagle, the symbol of St John the Evangelist. The back of the plaque shows that it was carved from a Late Antique diptych leaf: the raised borders typical of such pieces remain at the left and at the top, but the right side has been reduced from its original width.
The present plaque clearly belongs to three others of the same format and style and all four must have come from the same object. Two of the plaques - one with a bust of Christ, the other with a bust of an angel - are in the Museo Nazional in Ravenna. The fourth carries the symbol of Saint Luke (the bull). The London and Ravenna plaques have been in Ravenna by the 13th or 14th century, when the reverses were inscribed. It is not known when the diptych was dismembered to make the surviving plaques.
The plaque can be dated aroud 800 and was made by a group of artists with close links to Charlemagne' court at Aachen. It shows an awareness of space and three-dimensional form closer to the antique than other Court School works.
The present plaque clearly belongs to three others of the same format and style and all four must have come from the same object. Two of the plaques - one with a bust of Christ, the other with a bust of an angel - are in the Museo Nazional in Ravenna. The fourth carries the symbol of Saint Luke (the bull). The London and Ravenna plaques have been in Ravenna by the 13th or 14th century, when the reverses were inscribed. It is not known when the diptych was dismembered to make the surviving plaques.
The plaque can be dated aroud 800 and was made by a group of artists with close links to Charlemagne' court at Aachen. It shows an awareness of space and three-dimensional form closer to the antique than other Court School works.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Symbol of St. John the Evangelist (generic title) |
| Materials and techniques | Ivory, with remains of paint |
| Brief description | Panel, ivory, the symbol of St. John the Evangelist, Carolingian, probably North Italy, ca. 800 |
| Physical description | Ivory Panel with traces of paint. The panel is depicting an eagle, the symbol of St. John the Evangelist. The eagle holds a book in its claws in a roundel of bead and reel ornament set within a square border of acanthus, with fleshy leaves in the spandrels. Good condition, two holes have been drilled between the roundels and the lateral borders. There are several lines of writing in ink at the back, now difficult to read. |
| Dimensions |
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| Style | |
| Marks and inscriptions |
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| Object history | Bought from John Webb in 1867. The reains of red and green paint are not original and have probably been added at a post-medieval date. The back of the plaque shows that it was carved from a Late Antique diptych leaf: the raised borders typical of such pieces remain at the left and at the top, but the right side has been reduced from its original width. The present plaque clearly belongs to three others of the same format and style and all four must have come from the same object. Two of the plaques - one with a bust of Christ, the other with a bust of an angel - are in the Museo Nazional in Ravenna. The fourth carries the symbol of Saint Luke (the bull). The London and Ravenna plaques have been in Ravenna by the 13th or 14th century, when the reverses were inscribed. It is not known when the diptych was dismembered to make the surviving plaques. |
| Historical context | The plaques originally formed part of a diptych, perhaps the cover of a diptych-book, with three panels to each leaf. |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Summary | This ivory carving depicts an eagle, the symbol of St John the Evangelist. The back of the plaque shows that it was carved from a Late Antique diptych leaf: the raised borders typical of such pieces remain at the left and at the top, but the right side has been reduced from its original width. The present plaque clearly belongs to three others of the same format and style and all four must have come from the same object. Two of the plaques - one with a bust of Christ, the other with a bust of an angel - are in the Museo Nazional in Ravenna. The fourth carries the symbol of Saint Luke (the bull). The London and Ravenna plaques have been in Ravenna by the 13th or 14th century, when the reverses were inscribed. It is not known when the diptych was dismembered to make the surviving plaques. The plaque can be dated aroud 800 and was made by a group of artists with close links to Charlemagne' court at Aachen. It shows an awareness of space and three-dimensional form closer to the antique than other Court School works. |
| Bibliographic references |
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| Collection | |
| Accession number | 269-1867 |
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| Record created | January 15, 2003 |
| Record URL |
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