{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O86272"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O86272/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2013GD0359/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2013GD0359/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2013GD0359","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2013GD0357","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2013GD0358","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2011FA9117","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2006AT2419","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2006AE9246","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O86272/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O86272","accessionNumber":"A.30-1949","objectType":"Relief","titles":[{"title":"The Entombment","type":"generic title"}],"summaryDescription":"Throughout the ages artists and craftsmen have made virtuoso carvings as a display of their skill and ingenuity. Although ivory, wood and stone are relatively easy to carve, other materials such as gemstones are much more demanding. Most of these carvings were made for wealthy patrons and collectors, who delighted in the rarity of the material and quality of the carving. Balthasar Permoser(1651-1732) was famous for his monumental sculpture, but he also worked on a more intimate scale. He was among the foremost sculptors of the late Baroque period in Germany. This ivory exemplifies his sensitive carving, in particular the swooning Virgin falling away from the figure of the dead Christ. The concave top of the relief reflects the shape of the ivory tusk. In terms of subject matter, he executed both profoundly religious works, and elegant pieces of a purely secular nature. He trained initially in Salzburg and in 1671 went to Vienna, where he is likely to have studied ivory carving. He visited Rome in 1674-5, and in about 1677 entered the service of the Medici in Florence in the sculpture workshops run by Giovanni Battista Foggini (1652-1725). Some of his ivory figure groups were later reproduced in porcelain by the Doccia, Fürstenberg and Meissen manufactories. In 1690 he moved to Dresden to work at the court of the Elector of Saxony, and remained there for the rest of his life, apart from a spell in Berlin, where he collaborated with Andreas Schlüter (c. 1659-1714) on the Berliner Schloss. ","physicalDescription":"Ivory relief, dramatically carved, with figures surrounding the body of Christ and cherubs in the sky. St. John is holding the body of Christ as he is lowered into the tomb. St Mary Magdalene is seen kneeling at Christ's feet, the Virgin falling back in a swoon, held by the other two Marys. A putto sits by the tomb holding the INRI scroll, while the crown of thorns hangs over one of the tapering nails from the cross on a rock nearby. A plant is growing near the tomb, beside St. Mary Magdalene's pot of ointment. The ladder and foot of the cross are visible at the upper left, and angels and cherubim hover in the sky above. ","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Balthasar Permoser","id":"A10708"},"association":{"text":"maker","id":"AAT251917"},"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":"Death","id":"THES48970"},{"text":"Religion","id":"THES48900"},{"text":"Reliefs","id":"THES49035"}],"styles":[{"text":"Baroque","id":"AAT21147"}],"collectionCode":{"text":"SCP","id":"THES48600"},"images":["2013GD0359","2013GD0357","2013GD0358","2011FA9117","2006AT2419","2006AE9246"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"111","id":"THES49918"},"free":"","case":"CA9","shelf":"2","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Relief","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Germany","id":"x28873"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":"produced in Italy"}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"ca. 1677-1690","earliest":"1672-01-01","latest":"1690-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Given by Dr W. L. Hildburgh FSA","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"24.2","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"14.5","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Depth","value":"2.5","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[],"objectHistory":"Given by Dr W.L. Hildburgh F.S.A. in 1949; since 1930 on loan from Dr Hildburgh. Bought by the Munich dealer Julius Böhler on 8 June 1927 from Karl Schäfer, who said that it came originally from the Neumair estate in Traunstein (near where Permoser was born). The relief had probably been in the possession of the Wiespauer family, who owned Neumair. Bought by Hildburgh from Böhler on 29 September 1930, on the recommendation of the Museum.","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Relief, ivory, The Entombment, by Balthasar Permoser, German (produced in Italy), ca. 1677-90","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"Baker, Malcolm, and Brenda Richardson (eds.), <i>A Grand Design: The Art of the Victoria and Albert Museum</i>, London: V&A Publications, 1999.","id":"AUTH348910"},"details":"","free":""},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Asche, S. <font -u>Balthasar Permoser: Leben und Werk.</font> Berlin, 1978, pp. 20, 36-7, 148. pl. 56"},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Michalski, E. <font -u>In</font>: <font -u>Belvedere.</font> II., 1932, pp. 123 ff., fig. 135"},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"<font -u>Burlington Magazine.</font> XCVI., 1954' p. 222, fig. 36"},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Asche, S. <font -u>Balthasas Permoser und die Barockskulpter des Dresdner Zwingers.</font> Frankfurt am Main, 1966, p. 287 (P13), fig. 15, pl. 31"},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Theuerkauff, C. Zu Francis von Bossuit (1635 - 1692) \"beeldsnyder in yvoor.\" <font -u>Wallraf-Richartz-Jahrbuch.</font> 37, 1975, p. 141, fig. 32"},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Theuerkauff, C. <font -u>Studien zu Elfenbeinplastik des Barock.</font> Freiburg, 1964, p. 238, n. 91"},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Trusted, Majorie. ed. <font -u>The Making of Sculpture: the Materials and Techniques of European Sculpture.</font> London: V&A Publications, 2007, p. 120, pl. 221"},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Cf. Piacenti, K. A. Documented works in ivory by Balthasar Permoser and some documents related to Filippo Senger. <font -u>Mitteilungen des Kunsthistorischen Institutes in Florenz.</font> 10, 1963, pp. 273 ff."},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Trusted, Marjorie, <u>Baroque & Later Ivories</u>, Victoria & Albert Museum, London, 2013, cat. no. 29"},{"reference":{"text":"Trusted, Marjorie, ‘The Same but Different: Baroque Ivories and Reproductions’, in: Cupperi, W. (ed.), <u>Multiples in Pre-Modern Art</u>, Zurich, 2013","id":"AUTH330050"},"details":"p. 248 and fig. 6 on p. 261","free":""}],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[{"text":"Jesus Christ","id":"N1515"},{"text":"Mary (Virgin Mary)","id":"N480"},{"text":"St John","id":"N828"}],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[{"text":"The Entombment","id":"V84"}],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[{"text":"figures","id":"AAT189808"},{"text":"cherubs","id":"AAT250465"},{"text":"landscape","id":"AAT15636"},{"text":"putto","id":"AAT250465"},{"text":"scroll","id":"x44680"},{"text":"crown of thorns","id":"x35246"},{"text":"cross","id":"x31528"},{"text":"rock","id":"AAT11692"}],"contentConcepts":[{"text":"death","id":"x30761"}],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["A.30-1949"],"accessionNumberNum":"30","accessionNumberPrefix":"A","accessionYear":1949,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":["2019LV4807"],"recordModificationDate":"2025-10-28","recordCreationDate":"2003-11-25","availableToBook":false}}