{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O106783"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O106783/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2013GD3910/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2013GD3910/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2013GD3910","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2013GD3911","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2006AD3385","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2017KJ6964","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O106783/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O106783","accessionNumber":"1984-1899","objectType":"Relief","titles":[{"title":"Scenes from the Life of Christ","type":"generic title"}],"summaryDescription":"This double sided rectangular ivory panel from a set of writing tablets is carved in low relief depicts scenes from the life of Christ. On one side is the Adoration of the Magi and on the other the bearing of the Cross. Above each scene are three trefoil arches. There are traces of hinges or mounts on the right side and holes on the left, suggesting that it may have been used as the wing of a monstrance. \r\nThe scene of the Carrying of the Cross contains a number of notable elements. The clearly identifiable Mary Magdalene with her ointment jar is uncommon in that context. Another uncommon inclusion is the nail carrier. This figure more commonly holds a hammer. When the nail carrier does appear, he is most often an additional figure, who stands on the right of the hammer-bearing man. \r\nThe winged hat worn by the nail carrier is a motif reserved in ivory carving for torturers and pagans.\r\nIvory covers for writing tablets survive in good numbers from the fourteenth century. Wax writing tablets or panels of a hard material filled with layers of wax that could be inscribed with a stylus, were common in Antiquity and continued in use throughout the early Middle Ages. They were particularly useful for note taking, given their portability and the fact that their surfaces could be erased and reused.\r\nThe majority of such tablets would have been made of wood, although other materials such as gold, silver, bone and ivory were also used. In most cases the tablets formed part of a group of up to eight panels, only the covers of which were carved with imagery on their outer faces. The imagery on most surviving tablets and boxes derives primarily from diptychs, with a quality of carving lower than that commonly found on diptychs, at least partly as a result of the thinner ivory material on the tablets. \r\n","physicalDescription":"Double sided rectangular ivory panel carved in low relief depicting scenes from the life of Christ; on one side the Adoration of the Magi and on the other, the bearing of the Cross. Above each scene are three trefoil arches. There are traces of hinges or mounts on the right side and holes on the left, suggesting that it may have been used as the wing of a monstrance. Christ holds the cross while turning back towards the Virgin, who supports the cross arm with one hand; behind stands Mary Magdalene, identifiable by her ointment jar. To the right, a bearded man carrying three large nails in his left hand walks up the hill of Cavalry; he wears a winged helmet, and turns back towards Christ. In the Adoration of the Magi, kneeling before the Virgin and Child is the oldest of the Magi. Kneeling before the Virgin and Child is the oldest of the Magi, who holds his crown in his left hand and offers the Christ-Child a circular object engraved with a T-shape, the standard symbol for the earth or <i>Oikoumene</i>.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Unknown","id":"A1848"},"association":{"text":"","id":""},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"ivory","id":"AAT11857"}],"techniques":[{"text":"carving","id":"AAT53149"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Carved ivory","categories":[{"text":"Sculpture","id":"THES48896"},{"text":"Christianity","id":"THES48978"},{"text":"Religion","id":"THES48900"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"SCP","id":"THES48600"},"images":["2013GD3910","2013GD3911","2006AD3385","2017KJ6964"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"014","id":"THES395793"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Panel","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"France","id":"x28849"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":"probably"}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1350-1380","earliest":"1350-01-01","latest":"1380-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"8.5","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"5.6","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"The Bearing of the Cross is shown on the reverse"}],"objectHistory":"Purchased from J. and M.L. Tregaskis, London, in 1899 (with Mus. nos. 1985-1899, for £13 5s 6d). ","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Plaque, carved ivory, depicting scenes from the life of Christ, probably French, ca. 1350-1380","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"<u>List of Objects in the Art Division South Kensington Museum acquired during the Year 1899. Arranged according to the dates of acquisition, with appendix and indices.</u> London: Her Majesty's Stationary Office. Wyman and Sons, 1903, p. 270"},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Longhurst, Margaret, H. <u>Catalogue of Carvings in Ivory.</u> II. London: The Board of Education, 1929, p. 24"},{"reference":{"text":"Koechlin, R., <u>Les Ivoires gothiques français</u>, 3 vols, Paris, 1924 (reprinted Paris 1968)","id":"AUTH332728"},"details":"I, p. 209, II, cat. no. 501","free":""},{"reference":{"text":"Williamson, Paul and Davies, Glyn, <u>Medieval Ivory Carvings, 1200-1550</u>, (in 2 parts), V&A Publishing, Victoria and Albert Museum, London, 2014","id":"AUTH332632"},"details":"part 1, pp. 366-367","free":""},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Williamson, Paul and Davies, Glyn, <u>Medieval Ivory Carvings, 1200-1550</u>, (in 2 parts), V&A Publishing, Victoria and Albert Museum, London, 2014, part 1, pp. 366-367, cat. no. 127"}],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[{"text":"Jesus Christ","id":"N1515"},{"text":"Melchior (King)","id":"N1616"},{"text":"Balthazar (King)","id":"N3502"},{"text":"Caspar (King)","id":"N1615"},{"text":"Mary (Virgin Mary)","id":"N480"}],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[{"text":"Adoration of the Magi","id":"V132"},{"text":"The Bearing of the Cross","id":"V138"}],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[{"text":"cross","id":"x31528"}],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["1984-1899"],"accessionNumberNum":"1984","accessionNumberPrefix":"","accessionYear":1899,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-09-24","recordCreationDate":"2004-10-26","availableToBook":true}}