Diptych with Scenes from the Life of Christ
Unknown Artist
14th century
Medium
Ivory with metal mounts
Dimensions
Overall (open): 3 3/8 x 4 5/16 x 3/8 in. (8.5 x 10.9 x 1 cm) Overall (closed): 3 3/8 x 2 1/8 x 13/16 in. (8.5 x 5.4 x 2 cm)
Classification
Ivories
Culture
German
Department
Medieval Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of J. Pierpont Morgan, 1917
Accession Number
17.190.293
Tags
Art Historical Context
This exquisite 14th-century Germanptych, carved from ivory with elegant metal mounts, opens to reveal intimate scenes from the Life of Christ: the tender Madonna and Child on one and the poignant Crucifixion on the. Measuring just 3⅜ x 4¼ inches when open, its compact, foldable design made it a perfect portable devotional object for medieval travelers, nobles, or clergy, allowing private prayer on the go during an era when faith permeated daily life. Crafted in the Gothic style typical of late medieval Germany, the unknown artist's masterful ivory carving showcases intricate relief work, with...