Plaque with the Crucifixion

Art Historical Context

This delicate ivory plaque, carved and painted by an unknown South Netherlandish artist around 1400–1425, the poignant Crucifixion scene with Christ on the cross and the sorrowful Virgin Mary at its base. Measuring just over 4 inches tall, its intimate scale made it ideal for private devotion—likely held in the hand during prayer or mounted in a prayer book. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Art collection (gift of J. Pier Morgan, 1917), it exemplifies the exquisite craftsmanship of late Gothic ivories from the southern Netherlands, a hub for such luxury objects. Ivory, prized for it...