Folding Shrine with Virgin and Child
Unknown Artist
ca. 1325
Medium
Elephant ivory with metal mounts
Dimensions
Overall (open): 5 1/2 x 5 3/4 x 13/16 in. (13.9 x 14.6 x 2.1 cm) Overall (closed): 5 1/2 x 2 5/8 x 1 in. (13.9 x 6.7 x 2.6 cm) central plaque: 5 5/16 x 2 x 13/16 in. (13.5 x 5.1 x 2.1 cm) Inner Wings L & R: 4 5/8 x 11/16 x 1/4 in. (11.7 x 1.7 x 0.7 cm) Outer Wings L & R: 5 1/2 x 1 x 1/4 in. (13.9 x 2.5 x 0.6 cm)
Classification
Ivories-Elephant
Culture
French
Department
Medieval Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of J. Pierpont Morgan, 1917
Accession Number
17.190.290
Tags
Art Historical Context
This exquisite *Folding Shrine with Virgin and Child*, crafted 1325 by an unknown French artist, exemplifies refined artistry of medieval Gothic ivory carving. Fashioned from elephant ivory with metal mounts, it served as a portable devotional object, likely carried by pilgrims or used in private prayer. When opened, the shrine measures about 5½ x 5¾ inches, revealing a central plaque with the tender image of the Virgin Mary holding Christ Child, flanked by inner and outer wings that unfold like a triptych altarpiece. Ivory, prized for its creamy translucence and durability, was a luxury mate...