Panel from a Box with Scenes from Romance Literature
Unknown Artist
19th century
Medium
Elephant ivory
Dimensions
Overall: 3 3/4 x 9 5/8 x 1/4 in. (9.5 x 24.4 x 0.7 cm)
Classification
Ivories-Elephant
Culture
European (Medieval style)
Department
Medieval Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of J. Pierpont Morgan, 1917
Accession Number
17.190.252
Tags
Art Historical Context
This delicate elephant ivory panel, measuring just 3¾ x 9⅝ x ¼ inches, forms part of a box adorned with lively scenes from medieval romance literature. Crafted an unknown artist in the19th century, it the era's Gothic Revival fascination with the Middle Ages, blending historical nostalgia with virtuoso craftsmanship. Displayed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Medieval department—a gift from J. Pier Morgan in 1917 captures the chivalric world of knights, ladies, and courtly love through intricate carvings of men and women in dynamic poses. Ivory, prized in Europe since antiquity for its cre...