{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O314149"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O314149/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2009CA5307/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2009CA5307/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2009CA5307","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2009CR4851","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2009CR1682","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2009CA5306","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2018KW7693","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O314149/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O314149","accessionNumber":"A.15-1955","objectType":"Plaque","titles":[{"title":"The Ascension","type":"generic title"}],"summaryDescription":"This ivory plaque originates from Northern France or Ile-de-France from ca. 1160-70.\r\nIt depicts the Ascension of Christ, with Christ shown grasping the Hand of God.\r\n\r\nThe iconographic formula seen here derives from Carolingian and Ottonian models, but transformed into a Romanesque-Early Gothic idiom typical of French mid twelfth century. The style of the figures, with clinging, damp-fold draperies and finely rendered heads, is closest to the sculptures of the Chartres Royal Portal of ca. 1145-50 and its offshoots in the years up to about 1165-70.","physicalDescription":"In the upper half of the plaque Christ steps up, suspended in the air, to grasp the Hand of God; the latter emerges from the upper border, which is carved with thirteen small tuffs of cloud. Christ has a cross nimbus and holds a cross-staff in his left hand, in which he also gathers up his draperies. Two angels flank Christ, that on the left holding a large bud or tulip-like cup, torch or cornucopia. In the bottom half, arranged in three rows, are the eleven apostles with the nimbed Virgin in the centre of the first row; the five full length figures in this row stand  directly on the sloping ground of the border, the apostles with bare feet, the Virgin with slippers. The apostles and the Virgin are shown before a wall, turning their heads to look up to Christ; all the heads are carved in the round, that of the central, uppermost, apostle completely free from the background. Several of the figures, including Christ and the central apostle, retain jet or glass beads in their eyes.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Unknown","id":"A1848"},"association":{"text":"","id":""},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"ivory","id":"AAT11857"}],"techniques":[],"materialsAndTechniques":"Elephant ivory","categories":[{"text":"Christianity","id":"THES48978"},{"text":"Religion","id":"THES48900"},{"text":"Sculpture","id":"THES48896"},{"text":"Plaques & Plaquettes","id":"THES49031"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"SCP","id":"THES48600"},"images":["2009CA5307","2009CR4851","2009CR1682","2009CA5306","2018KW7693"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"8 (VA)","id":"THES49714"},"free":"","case":"CA4","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Plaque","id":""}],[{"text":"Panel","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"France","id":"x28849"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":"north or Ile-de-France"}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"ca. 1160-70","earliest":"1155-01-01","latest":"1170-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"13.7","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"7.6","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[],"objectHistory":"Purchased from Dr M.R. Allard, Paris, in 1955, for £2,046.\n\nHistorical significance: The iconographic formula seen here derives from Carolingian and Ottonian models, but transformed into a Romanesque-Early Gothic idiom typical of French mid twelfth century. The style of the figures, with clinging, damp-fold draperies and finely rendered heads, is closest to the sculptures of the Chartres Royal Portal of ca.1145-50 and its offshoots in the years up to about 1165-70.","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Plaque, ivory, The Ascension, northern France or Ile-de-France, ca.1160-70","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Williamson, Paul. <u>Medieval Ivory Carvings. Early Christian to Romanesque</u>. London, V&A Publishing, Victoria and Albert Museum, 2010, pp. 330-331, cat.no. 84"},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Beckwith, J. <u>Ivory Carvings in Early Medieval England</u>, London, 1972, p. 104, cat. no. 99, figs 179, 185"},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Gaborit-Chopin, Danielle. <u>Ivoires du Moyen Age</u>. Fribourg, 1978, p. 199"},{"reference":{"text":"Beckwith, John, <i>Ivory Carvings in early medieval England, 700-1200</i>, London, Arts Council of Great Britain, 1974","id":"AUTH356271"},"details":"","free":""},{"reference":{"text":"Hoffmann, Konrad, <i>The Year 1200: a centennial exhibition at the Metropilitan Museum of Art</i>, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Cloisters, New York, 1970","id":"AUTH356953"},"details":"","free":""}],"production":"formerly ascribed to an English workshop","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[{"text":"Christ","id":"N4624"},{"text":"God","id":"N809"},{"text":"Virgin","id":"N480"}],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[{"text":"apostles","id":"x35314"},{"text":"angel","id":"x30526"},{"text":"figures","id":"x31098"}],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["A.15-1955"],"accessionNumberNum":"15","accessionNumberPrefix":"A","accessionYear":1955,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":["2010EM0927"],"recordModificationDate":"2025-04-11","recordCreationDate":"2009-06-24","availableToBook":false}}