Mirror Case
Unknown Artist
1350–75
Medium
Elephant ivory
Dimensions
Overall: 4 3/8 x 4 1/8 x 7/16 in. (11.1 x 10.4 x 1.1 cm) diameter: 4 in. (10.1 cm)
Classification
Ivories-Elephant
Culture
French
Department
Medieval Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of George Blumenthal, 1941
Accession Number
41.100.160
Tags
Art Historical Context
This exquisite **Mirror Case** from 1350–75 exemplifies the artistry of late medieval French ivory carving. Crafted from elephant ivory—a rare and luxurious material imported from Africa and Asia—this small, circular object (4 inches in diameter) served as the ornate back for a handheld mirror popular among the nobility. Produced in Parisian workshops during the Gothic era, such ivories were status symbols, blending fine craftsmanship with secular themes amid a predominantly religious art world. Theately carved relief depicts a courtly scene featuring men and women, horses, lions, and falcons...