{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O88421"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O88421/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2009CA6680/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2009CA6680/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2009CA6680","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2009CA6684","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2009CA6686","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2009CA6685","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2009CA6683","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2009CA6682","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2006AE3931","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2017KC2560","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O88421/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O88421","accessionNumber":"12-1873","objectType":"Cross base","titles":[],"summaryDescription":"During the period 90-1200, ivories were produced all over Europe, often in monasteries and ecclesiastical or royal courts. The pieces in this drawer were used for liturgical purposes. Ivory carvings appeared on book covers, reliquary caskets, antependia (the panel in front of an altar) and religious icons. This pyramid-shaped carving, made in about 1160-80 in Germany (probably Cologne), decorated with four grotesque animals, served as a base for a crucifix, which would have been fitted into the slot on the top.\r\nOriginally this base had four feet of bone or walrus ivory. The base also may have had a copper-alloy plate on the underside. This plate would probably have held in place the tapering rectangular-sectioned tang of the cross, which completely pierced the base through the centre. The iconography of the base - dragons or serpents biting themselves - is found on a number of Romanesque metal cross feet.","physicalDescription":"Ivory base (possibly for a cross or flabelluem?). The base is in the form of a truncated pyramid, carved in relief with four grotesque animals (dragons) in sunk panels, separated by beaded lines, and with a border of quatrefoils round the base. The two dragons on the sides turn to bite themselves, that on the front bites its tail, while the beast at the back scratches its neck with its left front paw. Originally the base had four feet of bone or walrus ivory. The feet were set at a sloping angle deep into the base, each held by two long pins. On of these pins survives. The base also may have had a copper-alloy plate on the underside, as this is scored with cross-hatched lines. This plate would probably have held in place the tapering rectangular-sectioned tang of the cross, which completely pierced the base through the centre.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Unknown","id":"A1848"},"association":{"text":"","id":""},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"ivory","id":"AAT11857"}],"techniques":[{"text":"carving","id":"AAT53149"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Carved walrus ivory","categories":[{"text":"Sculpture","id":"THES48896"},{"text":"Religion","id":"THES48900"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"SCP","id":"THES48600"},"images":["2009CA6680","2009CA6684","2009CA6686","2009CA6685","2009CA6683","2009CA6682","2006AE3931","2017KC2560"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"111 (VA)","id":"THES49918"},"free":"","case":"DU1","shelf":"DR10","box":"7"}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Cross base","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Cologne","id":"x28796"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":"probably"}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1160-1180","earliest":"1160-01-01","latest":"1180-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"3","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"6.3","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"at front","note":""},{"dimension":"Depth","value":"6","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"at left","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[],"objectHistory":"From the collection of the Bishop of Hildesheim, bought in 1873.\r\nOriginally the base had four feet of bone or walrus ivory. The base also may have had a copper-alloy plate on the underside, as this is scored with cross-hatched lines. This plate would probably have held in place the tapering rectangular-sectioned tang of the cross, which completely pierced the base through the centre.\n\nHistorical significance: The iconography of the base - dragons or serpents biting themsleves - is found on a number of Romanesque metal cross feet.","historicalContext":"The base probably supported a walrus ivory crucifix of similar type and dimension to the so-called 'Croix de Sibylle' of about 1160 in teh Musée du Louvre.","briefDescription":"Cross base, walrus ivory, depicting dragons biting themselves, Germany (probably Cologne), 1160-80","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Beckwith, John. <u>Ivory carvings in early medieval England.</u> London : Harvey, Miller and Redcalf, 1972, cat. no.79, ill.195"},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"<font -u>List of Objects in the Art Division, South Kensington, Acquired During the Year 1873, Arranged According to the Dates of Acquisition.</font> London: Printed by George E. Eyre and William Spottiswoode for H.M.S.O., p. 2"},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Mersmann, Wiltrud. <font -u>Der Faltstuhl vom Nonnberg in Salzburg.</font> Salzburg : Winter, 1985, p. 69, fig. 25"},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Mann, Vivian B. [Ph. D. dissertation] <font -u>Romanesque Ivory Tablemen.</font> New York University, 1977, p. 113"},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Springer, Peter. <font -u>Kreuzfüsse : Ikonographie und Typologie eines hochmittelalterlichen Gerätes.</font> Berlin, 1981, p. 48, fig. A86"},{"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. 288, 9, cat.no. 76"}],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[{"text":"grotesques","id":"AAT10211"},{"text":"beasts","id":"x35333"},{"text":"dragon","id":"x30096"}],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["12-1873"],"accessionNumberNum":"12","accessionNumberPrefix":"","accessionYear":1873,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":["2019LN1457","2019LP6154","2019LW3431"],"recordModificationDate":"2025-04-30","recordCreationDate":"2004-01-05","availableToBook":false}}