{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O106442"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O106442/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006AD1300/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006AD1300/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2006AD1300","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2006AD1400","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O106442/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O106442","accessionNumber":"262-1867","objectType":"Tau cross","titles":[{"title":"Tau head","type":"named collection"}],"summaryDescription":"This is a head of a carved wlarus ivory Tau cross made in ca. 1650-1700 perhaps in Constantinople. This head is formed of two half-dragons, their bodies conjoined in the centre. On acquisition the object was thought to be German or Scandinavian, and to date from the twelfth century. Later there were also thoughts of it being Rhenish and Spanish. However it was almost certainly made for the Eastern Church, and has been convincingly dated to a much later period. Comparisons can be made with analogous works in the Monastery of St. Catherine on Mount Sinai, known to be from Constantinople, and thought to date from the second half of the seventeenth century. It was perhaps produced at the Ottoman Court. \nTau heads formed the tops of crosses or staffs in the shape of a T, the Greek letter ‘tau’, hence the name. ","physicalDescription":"Head of a carved ivory Tau cross, formed of the heads and necks of two dragons, their bodies conjoined in the centre, and their heads twisted round underneath, with stylised decoration on their backs. On either side, in the middle, under a round arch, are the figures of a bishop saint with a staff and another saint, perhaps an Apostle, holding a book. Set originally with ten uncut gems, although two are now missing.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Unknown","id":"A1848"},"association":{"text":"","id":""},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"ivory","id":"AAT11857"},{"text":"gemstone","id":"AAT201964"}],"techniques":[{"text":"carving","id":"AAT53149"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Carved walrus ivory set with uncut gems","categories":[{"text":"Christianity","id":"THES48978"},{"text":"Sculpture","id":"THES48896"},{"text":"Religion","id":"THES48900"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"SCP","id":"THES48600"},"images":["2006AD1300","2006AD1400"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"006","id":"THES395355"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Tau head","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Constantinople","id":"x33871"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":"perhaps"}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"ca. 1650 - ca. 1700","earliest":"1645-01-01","latest":"1704-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"5","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"16.3","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[],"objectHistory":"Bought from the Webb Collection for £10 in 1867.","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Tau head, walrus ivory and gems, perhaps Constantinople, ca. 1650-1700","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Inventory of Art Objects acquired in the Year 1867. <font -u>Inventory of the Objects in the Art Division of the Museum at South Kensington, arranged According to the Dates of their Acquisition. Vol. 1.</font> London : Printed by George E. Eyre and William Spottiswoode for H.M.S.O., 1868, p. 7"},{"reference":{"text":"Longhurst, Margaret. H. Catalogue of Carvings in Ivory. Part I. London: Published under the Authority of the Board of Education, 1927.","id":"AUTH409856"},"details":"p.94","free":""},{"reference":{"text":"Trusted, Marjorie, <u>Baroque & Later Ivories</u>, Victoria & Albert Museum, London, 2013","id":"AUTH329728"},"details":"p.328","free":""}],"production":"On acquisition the object was thought to be German or Scandinavian, and to date from the twelfth century. Later there were also thoughts of it being Rhenish and Spanish. However it was almost certainly made for the Eastern Church, and has been convincingly dated to a much later period. Comparisons can be made with analogous works in the Monastery of St. Catherine on Mount Sinai, known to be from Constantinople, and thought to date from the second half of the seventeenth century. It was perhaps produced at the Ottoman Court. ","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[{"text":"dragon","id":"x30096"},{"text":"saint","id":"AAT150555"},{"text":"arch","id":"AAT994"},{"text":"book","id":"AAT28051"}],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["262-1867"],"accessionNumberNum":"262","accessionNumberPrefix":"","accessionYear":1867,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-09-29","recordCreationDate":"2004-10-15","availableToBook":true}}