{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O248824"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O248824/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2012FV7560/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2012FV7560/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2012FV7560","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2012FV7555","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2012FV7558","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2012FV7559","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O248824/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O248824","accessionNumber":"A.23-1931","objectType":"Diptych","titles":[{"title":"Diptych","type":"generic title"}],"summaryDescription":"This is an ivory diptych, made in France or the Netherlands, in the late nineteenth century as a forgery in medieval style. There are two registers with four scenes per leaf, divided by arches. The scenes are representing the Marriage of the Virgin Mary, The Nativity, The Flight into Egypt, The Adoration of the Magi, The Entry into Jerusalem, The Betrayal and the Crucifixion. \r\nThis piece has always been acknowledged by the Museum as a forgery. Indeed, it is highly unconvincing as a medieval work, both by virtue of its style and its composition. Several ivories from the same workshop survive.\n\nThe devotional diptych is in many ways the object type most associated with the notion of Gothic ivory carving. The earliest examples probably date to the 1240s; these are complex, large and ambitious works that emerged, somewhat surprisingly, with no obvious precursors. The owners of ivory diptychs sometimes appear within their images. Such portraits indicate that they were special requests on the part of their commissioners, and they parallel the similar figures that appear in manuscripts and panel paintings of the period. The iconography of Gothic diptychs oscillated between two poles. The first of which is the desire to present narratives (Life of Christ and Virgin Mary) for envisaging. The second was the use of non-narrative images to form the focus of devotion. ","physicalDescription":"Diptych, ivory, modern. In two registers, with four scenes per leaf, divided by arches. Carved with the scenes representing the Marriage of the Virgin, The Nativity, The Flight into Egypt, The Adoration of the Magi, The Entry into Jerusalem, The Betrayal and the Crucifixion. Each scene is surmounted by a trefoil arch with a gable above with crockets and large, fleshy finials. Between each gable a trefoil pattern is carved into the background and above is a stepped moulding. The arches are supported on triple columns with carved bases and capitals.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Unknown","id":"A1848"},"association":{"text":"","id":""},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"ivory","id":"AAT11857"}],"techniques":[{"text":"carving","id":"AAT53149"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Elephant ivory","categories":[{"text":"Sculpture","id":"THES48896"},{"text":"Religion","id":"THES48900"},{"text":"Christianity","id":"THES48978"},{"text":"Fakes & forgeries","id":"THES48958"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"SCP","id":"THES48600"},"images":["2012FV7560","2012FV7555","2012FV7558","2012FV7559"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"020","id":"THES395623"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Diptych","id":"AAT178228"}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"late 19th century","earliest":"1850-01-01","latest":"1899-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Alfred Williams Hearn Bequest","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"13.8","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"13.8","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[],"objectHistory":"Before 1923, in the collection of Alfred William Hearn (1842-1903) and his widow Ellen Hearn, Menton. The Hearn collection was first described by Purdon Clarke in a brief inventory of 1904, which mentions an 'ivory diptych', possibly the present object, although it may equally have been bought by Mrs Hearn after the death of her husband.\r\n\r\nFollowing the death of Alfred Williams Hearn, a selection of objects from the Hearn collection was given to the Museum in 1923 by his widow. Mrs A. W. Hearn later bequeathed other objects from the collection in 1931, requesting in both instances that the gift and bequest be credited to Alfred Williams Hearn. In 1923, after Mrs Hearn's death, it was one of a range of objects that were shipped to the V&amp;A but not immediately accessioned. This piece was then accessioned in 1931.\r\n","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Diptych, ivory, Nativity, Scenes of the Life of Christ, France or Netherlands, forgery in medieval style, made in the late nineteenth century","bibliographicReferences":[{"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. 334-335","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. 334-335, cat. no. 115"}],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[{"text":"Marriage of Virgin Mary","id":"V728"},{"text":"Nativity, The","id":"V23"},{"text":"The Flight into Egypt","id":"V729"},{"text":"Adoration of the Magi","id":"V132"},{"text":"Entry into Jerusalem","id":"V134"},{"text":"Betrayal of Christ","id":"V101"},{"text":"Crucifixion","id":"V405"}],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["A.23-1931"],"accessionNumberNum":"23","accessionNumberPrefix":"A","accessionYear":1931,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-09-24","recordCreationDate":"2009-06-12","availableToBook":true}}