{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O87607"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O87607/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006AE9400/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006AE9400/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2006AE9400","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2012FW3158","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2012FW3173","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2012FW3203","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2012FW3204","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2012FW3205","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2012FW3206","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2012FW3209","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2012FW3211","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2013GT9432","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2013GT9431","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2006AY4576","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2006AY4574","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2006AY4570","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2018KX5134","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O87607/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O87607","accessionNumber":"140-1866","objectType":"Polyptych","titles":[{"title":"Virgin and Child, the Crucifixion and Scenes from the Life of Christ","type":"generic title"}],"summaryDescription":"Ivory was used all over Europe for religious works of art. It was often combined with precious metals and usually took the form of relief panels, for book covers, portable altars and caskets. An almost unbroken tradition of ivory carving extends from the Roman and Byzantine empires until the end of the 14th century. From about 1250, Paris became the centre of production for figures and reliefs intended for private devotion. Other workshops emerged in Italy and Germany. Venice was one of the centres of ivory carving in Italy. Much of the work was based on French models. Some of the craftsmen may have been trained in Paris as their work often combines French and local styles.\nThis polytych represents the Virgin and Child, the Crucifixion and Scenes from the Life of Christ and is made in France in about 1320-1330. ","physicalDescription":"Painted and gilded ivory polyptych; in the centre, under a canopy is the Crucifixion; below under a triple-arched canopy, the Virgin, seated, holding the Child attended by angels bearing candlesticks. On the wings, beginning at the top and reading across to the opposite wing, are the Flagellation, Christ bearing his cross, and the Entombment; on the second tier, the Visitation, the Annunciation, and the Nativity; on the third tier, the three Kings and the Presentation. The centre of the back is carved with architectural ornament in low relief; on the wings are remains of gilded leaf sprays. Enriched with gold and colours on an ivory base with claw feet, the latter are restorations.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Unknown","id":"A1848"},"association":{"text":"","id":""},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"ivory","id":"AAT11857"},{"text":"gold","id":"AAT11021"}],"techniques":[{"text":"gilding","id":"AAT53789"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Elephant ivory, painted and gilded","categories":[{"text":"Christianity","id":"THES48978"},{"text":"Sculpture","id":"THES48896"},{"text":"Religion","id":"THES48900"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"SCP","id":"THES48600"},"images":["2006AE9400","2012FW3158","2012FW3173","2012FW3203","2012FW3204","2012FW3205","2012FW3206","2012FW3209","2012FW3211","2013GT9432","2013GT9431","2006AY4576","2006AY4574","2006AY4570","2018KX5134"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"10","id":"THES49099"},"free":"","case":"CA5","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Polyptych","id":"AAT178235"}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Germany","id":"x28873"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":"(probably Cologne or Middle Rhine)"}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"ca. 1310 - ca. 1320","earliest":"1305-01-01","latest":"1324-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"39.5","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"with pedestal","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"25.5","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"open","note":""},{"dimension":"Depth","value":"9","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Weight","value":"1.14","unit":"kg","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"10.5","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"closed","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"Measured for the Medieval and Renaissance Galleries","marksAndInscriptions":[],"objectHistory":"Bought from the Webb Collection. Formerly in the Debruge-Duménil and Soltykoff Collections.\n\nHistorical significance: An almost unbroken tradition of ivory carving extends from the Roman and Byzantine empires until the end of the 14th century. From about 1250, Paris became the centre of production for figures and reliefs intended for private devotion and compositions, styles and iconographic concepts of French ivories and large-scale sculpture were soon adapted and imitated.","historicalContext":"The present polyptych is highly likely to have been an object of private devotion. Gothic ivories of religious content are decorated almost exclusively with scenes from the Life of Christ and Mary. Similar events are depicted in manuscripts and large-scale sculpture of the same date. They would have been used in a chapel or part of a room set aside for prayer and meditation.","briefDescription":"Tabernacle Polyptych, ivory, painted and gilded, with the Virgin and Child, the Crucifixion and Scenes from the Life of Christ, German (probably Cologne or Middle Rhine), about 1310-20","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Labarte, Jules. <u>Histoire des arts industriels au moyen âge et à l'époque de la renaissance.</u>2. éd, Paris, Ve A. Morel & Cie, 1872-75, p. 124, Pl.XVII.\r\n"},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Inventory of Art Objects acquired in the Year 1866. <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. 17"},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Longhurst, Margaret H. <font -u>Catalogue of Carvings in Ivory.</font> London: Pub. under the authority of the Board of Education, 1927-1929, p. 14\r\n\r\n"},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Petzel, Klara Katharina. <font -u>Elfenbein Diptychon mit Passions und Erscheinungsszenen.</font> Cologne: Kolumba, 2007, p. 16"},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"cf. Morey, C. R. <font -u>Italian Gothic Ivories: Mediaeval Studies in Memory of A. Kingsley Porter, 1939, p. 193, no. xii, p. 196"},{"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. 150-153","free":""},{"reference":{"text":"Maskell, W., <u>A Description of the Ivories Ancient and Medieval in the South Kensington Museum</u>, London, 1872","id":"AUTH330219"},"details":"pp. 57-58","free":""},{"reference":{"text":"Koechlin, R., <u>Les Ivoires gothiques français</u>, 3 vols, Paris, 1924 (reprinted Paris 1968)","id":"AUTH332728"},"details":"I, p. 132, II, cat. no. 176, III, pl. XLIV","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. 150-153, cat. no. 46"}],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[{"text":"Mary (Virgin Mary)","id":"N480"},{"text":"Jesus Christ","id":"N1515"}],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[{"text":"The Crucifixion","id":"V106"},{"text":"The Entombment","id":"V84"},{"text":"The Flagellation","id":"V82"},{"text":"The Annunciation","id":"V30"},{"text":"The Nativity","id":"V23"}],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[{"text":"Folding shrine\r\nAbout 1320\r\n\r\nThis devotional aid, acting like a miniature shrine, contains a full account of the birth and death of Christ. The owner would have been able to follow the whole story, using the individual scenes to meditate on each eent. Importantly, the shrine is also a luxurious and elegant possession.\r\n\r\nFrance, Paris\r\nIvory, painted and gilded\r\nMuseum no. 140-1866","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null}}],"partNumbers":["140-1866"],"accessionNumberNum":"140","accessionNumberPrefix":"","accessionYear":1866,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":["2016JB5248","2017KA2087","2019LM5519","2019LN2035","2019LN2897","2019LN3149","2019LP9280","2019LP9041","2019LP5024","2019LR6671","2019LU5168","2019LW0161"],"recordModificationDate":"2025-04-29","recordCreationDate":"2003-12-18","availableToBook":false}}