Diptych with Scenes from Christ's Passion
Unknown Artist
ca. 1350
Medium
Ivory with silver mounts
Dimensions
Overall (open): 6 7/8 x 8 3/8 x 7/16 in. (17.5 x 21.3 x 1.1 cm) Overall (closed): 6 7/8 x 4 1/8 x 7/8 in. (17.5 x 10.5 x 2.2 cm)
Classification
Ivories
Culture
French
Department
Medieval Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of J. Pierpont Morgan, 1917
Accession Number
17.190.208
Tags
Art Historical Context
This exquisite *Diptych with Scenes from Passion*, crafted by an unknown French artist around 1350, is a masterful example of medieval ivory carving. Folded like a precious book (6 7/8 x 4 1/8 x 7/8 in. closed, opening to 6 7/8 x 8 3/8 x 7/16 in.), it intricate reliefs on its two panels depicting key moments from Christ's final days, including the Last Supper, Crucifixion, and figures like Judas, the Virgin Mary Christ, and even donkeys—likely evoking the Entry into Jerusalem. Enhanced with elegant silver mounts, the diptych radiates luxury and piety. In 14th-century France, during the Gothic...