{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O314478"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O314478/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2026PV2666/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2026PV2666/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2026PV2666","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2026PV2664","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2026PV2665","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O314478/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O314478","accessionNumber":"REPRO.1854-45","objectType":"fictile ivory","titles":[{"title":"Asclepius","type":"Generic title"}],"summaryDescription":"This object is a fictile ivory, a plaster cast of an original ivory carving. It copies an ivory diptych leaf depicting Asclepius, the God of Medicine, made in Rome in 400-430, and now held at the World Museum, Liverpool (inv. no. M10044).  This cast was made in London by G.Franchi & Son in ca. 1854, on behalf of the Arundel Society. \n\nPlaster casts of ivory carvings became increasingly popular during the 19th century for their educational and cultural value. By making often geographically dispersed originals accessible to wider audiences, fictile ivories allowed these artworks to be studied and appreciated without the need to travel to see them. The ivories selected for reproduction were typically considered to be of outstanding art-historical importance, forming collections that showcased the distinctive iconography and craftsmanship characteristic of different periods in the long history of ivory carving. Therefore, fictile ivories played an important role in disseminating knowledge of the medium, facilitating comparative study and shaping wider understandings of their artistic and historical significance.","physicalDescription":"Plaster copy of a diptych leaf depicting Asclepius, the God of Medicine.\n\nAsclepius is represented standing on an ornamental pedestal, thoughtfully resting his head on his left hand, which holds a scroll, while his right hand rests on his hip. A club entwined with a large serpent supports him. Asclepius has long hair, a beard, a fillet in his hair and drapery covering his lower body and left arm. Beside him stands the smaller figure of Telesphorus, the God of Convalescence, wearing a cowl and holding a scroll. The figures are framed by two pilasters joined by an oak-leaf garland. One pilaster supports a casket of flowers, while the other is missing, reflecting damage to the original ivory from which this cast was made. The whole design is framed by a foliated border of acanthus leaves and flowers, and at the top, a label for a dedicatory inscription. \n\nOn the reverse of this cast are several inscriptions in pencil and ink, a stamp and a label.","artistMakerPerson":[],"artistMakerOrganisations":[{"name":{"text":"Giovanni Franchi and Son","id":"A9102"},"association":{"text":"maker","id":"AAT251917"},"note":""},{"name":{"text":"Arundel Society","id":"A7579"},"association":{"text":"commissioner","id":"THES258415"},"note":""}],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"Plaster","id":"AAT14922"}],"techniques":[{"text":"Casting","id":"AAT53104"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Plaster cast","categories":[{"text":"Plaster casts","id":"THES270451"},{"text":"Fictile ivory","id":"THES417212"},{"text":"Myths and Legends","id":"THES49005"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"SCP","id":"THES48600"},"images":["2026PV2666","2026PV2664","2026PV2665"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"TG","id":"THES49609"},"free":"","case":"CB1","shelf":"2","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Fictile Ivory","id":"x44952"}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"London","id":"x28980"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""},{"place":{"text":"Rome","id":"x29106"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"ca.1854","earliest":"1849-01-01","latest":"1858-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":"copy"}],"associatedObjects":[{"object":{"text":"REPRO.1854-46","id":"O314477"},"association":""},{"object":{"text":"NCOL.323-2011","id":"O1226878"},"association":""}],"creditLine":"","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"32","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"14.4","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"depth","value":"1.9","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[],"objectHistory":"This is a fictile ivory, or a plaster cast of an original ivory artwork. \r\n\r\nA pencil inscription on the back of this cast indicates that, at the time of its production, the original was in the collection assembled by the Hungarian collector Gábor Fejérváry (1781–1851). This original ivory, now at the World Museum, Liverpool, is a diptych depicting Asclepius, the God of Medicine, on the left leaf, and Hygieia, the Goddess of Health, on the right. A round label beneath this inscription shows that the cast was part of the group of fictile ivories commissioned by the Arundel Society who in 1855 made their first series of fictile ivories available for public purchase. The handwritten number ‘I a’ refers to the society’s categorisation of casts, with Class I consisting of Roman mythological diptychs and the letter 'a' identifying the exact cast in the catalogue. The company stamp below, reading 'G.Franchi & Son, 15, Myddleton St, London' identifies that it was produced by Franchi & Son, who, from around 1854 until 1874, produced casts on behalf of the Arundel Society. \r\n\r\nThe V&A acquired and produced fictile ivories from the 1840s into the early 20th century, reflecting the growing popular interest in these reproductions. This interest was encouraged by advances in reproduction techniques, as well as by a network of plaster manufacturers, museum professionals, antiquarians and the Arundel Society, who produced and disseminated fictile ivories during this period. Contemporary audiences valued these casts for their educational and cultural potential as they offered wider audiences access to carvings that were often geographically dispersed, while bringing together examples from different places and periods. This enabled viewers to compare styles and techniques and explore the development of ivory carving over time. Today, these objects form an important part of the V&A’s collection, both as reproductions of original artworks and as objects of historical significance in their own right.\r\n\r\nThe first stage in producing a plaster cast was to create a negative mould, taken from either the original ivory or from an existing cast. For flat ivories such as diptychs, panels and mirror cases, usually only the carved front was moulded. Moulds could be made of different materials, but most commonly, from a combination of wax and gutta-percha – a natural waterproof latex substance – or gelatine.  For ivories carved in high relief, careful packing, likely with wax, was added underneath any delicate details to provide support and avoid damage during the casting process. When multiple reproductions were required, moulds were sometimes also electrotyped for longevity (a form of casting using electricity which produced a metal replica of the mould).  Once the mould was produced, plaster was poured into it and left to set. The cast could then be removed and, to better imitate the appearance of the original ivory object, some casts were then painted. ","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Fictile ivory, plaster, diptych leaf,  Asclepius, copy after original in World Museum, Liverpool (inv. no. M10044), orignal made in Rome, 400-430, cast in London, G.Franchi & Son, ca. 1854 (Westwood 15)","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Wyatt, M. Digby & Edmund Oldfield. Notices of Sculpture in Ivory, consisting of a Lecture on the History, Methods, and Chief Productions of the Art, delivered at the First Annual General Meeting of the Arundel Society, on the 29th June, 1855. And a Catalogue of Specimens of Ancient Ivory-Carvings in Various Collections, (casts of which are sold by the Society in Classes Exemplifying the Principal Schools and Periods). London: Office of the Arundel Society, 1856, p. 33."},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Westwood, J.O. A Descriptive Catalogue of the Fictile Ivories in the South Kensington Museum. With an Account of the Continental Collections of Classical and Mediaeval Ivories. London: Printed by George E. Eyre and William Spottiswoode, 1876, pp. 4-5, cat. no. 15."}],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"Copy","id":"THES48865"},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["REPRO.1854-45"],"accessionNumberNum":"45","accessionNumberPrefix":"REPRO","accessionYear":1854,"otherNumbers":[{"type":{"text":"Westwood catalogue number","id":"THES417210"},"number":"15"}],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2026-10-22","recordCreationDate":"2009-06-24","availableToBook":false}}