{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O152242"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O152242/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2011EY6829/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2011EY6829/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2011EY6829","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2011EY6803","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O152242/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O152242","accessionNumber":"192-1865","objectType":"Relief","titles":[{"title":"The Nativity","type":"generic title"}],"summaryDescription":"This is an ivory plaque made by Richard Cockle Lucas probably before 1863. The artist presented this and a group of other ivores to the Museum in 1865. This plaque is carved in high relief and represents the Nativity. \n\nRichard Cockle Lucas (1800-1883) is mainly known as a sculptor in wax and ivory, but he also worked in glass, marble and bronze, as well as being a painter. Lucas began his career as a sculptor as an apprentice to his uncle, who worked as a cutler in Winchester, carving knife handles. He joined the Royal Academy Schools in 1828 and studied under Richard Westmacott. Lucas made two models of the Parthenon, in its original state and after the explosion of 1687, which were acquired by the British Museum. He is best known for his small scale works including wax sculptures and ivory carvings. Lucas was at the centre of a controversy about the bust of Flora in the Kaiser Friedrich Museum in Berlin. The bust was thought to be an authentic work by Leonardo da Vinci but the sculptor's son Albert Dürer Lucas claimed in the Burlington Magazine that the bust was modelled by his father. It is now generally thought that the bust is probably by Leonardo or his circle but was repaired by Lucas. He exhibited at the Royal Academy between 1829 and 1859 and showed ivory carvings and imitation bronzes at the Great Exhibition in 1851.\r\n","physicalDescription":"Ivory plaque carved in high relief of the Nativity. With the shepherds kneeling before the crib; the Virgin kneels behind and St. Joseph stands at her side, all in attitudes of prayer. Four angels hover above holding scrolls with incised gilded and reddened lettering.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Lucas, Richard Cockle","id":"A3517"},"association":{"text":"sculptor","id":"x43862"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"ivory","id":"AAT11857"}],"techniques":[{"text":"carving","id":"AAT53149"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Carved ivory","categories":[{"text":"Sculpture","id":"THES48896"},{"text":"Plaques & Plaquettes","id":"THES49031"},{"text":"Religion","id":"THES48900"},{"text":"Christianity","id":"THES48978"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"SCP","id":"THES48600"},"images":["2011EY6829","2011EY6803"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"007","id":"THES395610"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Relief","id":""}],[{"text":"Plaque","id":"AAT10262"}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Britain","id":"x32019"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"ca. 1863","earliest":"1858-01-01","latest":"1867-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":"before 1863"}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"23.4","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"15.3","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"GLORY TO GOD IN THE HIGHEST, AND ON EARTH PEACE, GOODWILL TOWARD MEN'","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"incised on the scrolls"}],"objectHistory":"Given by Richard Cockle Lucas in 1865, through Lord Palmerston, one of 33 works by Lucas received by Richard Redgrave on behalf of the Museum on 17 June 1865.","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Plaque, ivory relief, representing the Nativity, by Richard Cockle Lucas, British, before 1863","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Theuerkauff, Christian. Von Dürer zu Lucas? <font -u>Kunst und Antiquitäten.</font> IV, 1988, p. 72 and fig. 8 on p. 73"},{"reference":{"text":"Longhurst, Margaret H., <u>Catalogue of Carvings in Ivory</u>. Part II. London: Victoria and Albert Museum, 1929","id":"AUTH329986"},"details":"p.124","free":""},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Inventory of Art Objects acquired in the Year 1865. <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. 33"},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Roscoe, I., with Sullivan, M.G. and Hardy, E., <u>A Biographical Dictionary of Sculptors in Britain, 1660 to 1851</u>, New Haven, 2009, p. 766"},{"reference":{"text":"Trusted, Marjorie, <u>Baroque & Later Ivories</u>, Victoria & Albert Museum, London, 2013","id":"AUTH329728"},"details":"","free":""}],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[{"text":"The Nativity","id":"V23"}],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[{"text":"Nativity","id":"x37366"}],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["192-1865"],"accessionNumberNum":"192","accessionNumberPrefix":"","accessionYear":1865,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-09-26","recordCreationDate":"2008-04-08","availableToBook":true}}