Unrecorded French Artist

Wing of a Diptych with Saint John the Baptist and other Figures

Paris, 14th century

Elephant ivory with traces of gilding and colour

7.8 x 5.4cm

There are traces of hinges on the left hand side of this carving, suggesting that the piece was originally part of a diptych (an object made up of two panels), although the left wing is now missing. Apart from the central figure of Saint John the Baptist, the other figures have not been identified. Small religious scenes in relief, like this one, could be carried by the owner and unfolded for private religious meditation.

From the 8th to the 12th centuries, ivory was largely used to create precious book covers and objects required for church services, or for adorning ecclesiastical furniture. The supply of elephant tusks dwindled in the 12th century, but when it reappeared in northern Europe in the mid-13th century, artists quickly renewed the art of ivory carving. However, instead of reviving earlier forms, new objects, such as statuettes, small panelled objects and items for personal use (such as combs), became popular. The increased supply of ivory gradually lowered the price, so that by the turn of the 14th century, personal articles made out of ivory were in relative abundance.

For more information about this object, see the work listed on the Courtauld’s Gothic Ivories Project here.

Purchased 1948 (No. 48.5)