Ask the Scholar
Document scope · 1 page
Scholar
Ask about this object, its catalog metadata, its source description, or the page inventory.
For page-specific OCR and visual context, open one of the page chats.
Source Description
This oliphant--a carved elephant tusk in the shape of a hunting horn--was likely carved in an Arab ivory workshop in South Italy or Sicily. It is masterfully shaped, with a series of six carved bands, the outer ring depicting scenes from a hunt. The earliest surviving inventory of the church of Saint Blaise from 1482-85 lists an oliphant decorated with silver rings and precious stones and known as the "Horn of Saint Blaise." By the 17th century, Saint Blaise was reputed to have used this very horn to summon the faithful to worship.
Scholar Source Context
Document identity
localId
112318
label
The So-called Horn of Saint Blaise
core
obj
dtoType
object
pageCount
1
Source metadata
id
112318
contentType
object
title
The So-called Horn of Saint Blaise
description
This oliphant--a carved elephant tusk in the shape of a hunting horn--was likely carved in an Arab ivory workshop in South Italy or Sicily. It is masterfully shaped, with a series of six carved bands, the outer ring depicting scenes from a hunt. The earliest surviving inventory of the church of Saint Blaise from 1482-85 lists an oliphant decorated with silver rings and precious stones and known as the "Horn of Saint Blaise." By the 17th century, Saint Blaise was reputed to have used this very horn to summon the faithful to worship.
date
1100–1200
rights
CC0
rightsUri
CC0
language
en
wikidata
Q60757622
genreSpecific
Ivory
imageCount
1
source
import
dimensionsRaw
Overall: 12 cm (4 3/4 in.)
cul
South Italy or Sicily, 12th century
accession
1930.74
Source extras
tec
ivory
tombstone
The So-called Horn of Saint Blaise, 1100–1200. South Italy or Sicily, 12th century. Ivory; overall: 12 cm (4 3/4 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of the John Huntington Art and Polytechnic Trust, 1930.740
collection
MED - Romanesque
relatedWorks
id
112021
description
Medallion with the Bust of Christ ("The Cumberland Medallion"), from the Guelph Treasure, late 700s. Germany, Weserraum, Migration period, late 8th century. Cloisonné enamel and gold on copper; diameter: 5.1 x 0.2 cm (2 x 1/16 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund 1930.504
id
112022
description
Monstrance with the "Paten of Saint Bernward", c. 1180–1190. Saint Oswald Reliquary Workshop (German). Silver, gilded silver, niello, rock crystal; overall: 34.5 x 15.9 x 14 cm (13 9/16 x 6 1/4 x 5 1/2 in.); part 1: 13.5 cm (5 5/16 in.); part 2: 34.3 cm (13 1/2 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund with additional gift from Mrs. R. Henry Norweb, 1930.505
id
112316
description
Arm Reliquary of the Apostles, c. 1190. Germany, Lower Saxony, Hildesheim, Romanesque period, late 12th century. Gilt silver, champlevé enamel, oak; overall: 51 x 14 x 9.2 cm (20 1/16 x 5 1/2 x 3 5/8 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of the John Huntington Art and Polytechnic Trust 1930.739
id
112319
description
Book-Shaped Reliquary, c. 1000. Circle of The Master of the Registrum Gregorii (German, active c. 972–1000). Ivory, silver: gilded, pearls, rubies, emeralds, crystals, onyx, carnelian, oak; overall: 31.6 x 24.4 x 7.5 cm (12 7/16 x 9 5/8 x 2 15/16 in.); part 1: 17.8 x 14 cm (7 x 5 1/2 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of the John Huntington Art and Polytechnic Trust 1930.741
id
112958
description
Ceremonial Cross of Countess Gertrude, 1038 or shortly after. Germany, Lower Saxony?, 11th century. Gold: worked in repoussé; cloisonné enamel, intaglio gems, pearls, wood core; overall: 24.2 x 21.6 cm (9 1/2 x 8 1/2 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund with the addition of a gift from Mrs. Edward B. Greene 1931.55
id
112971
description
Monstrance with a Relic of Saint Sebastian, 1484. Germany, Lower Saxony, Brunswick, Gothic period, 15th century. Gilded silver, rock crystal, bone, parchment; overall: 47 cm (18 1/2 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of Julius F. Goldschmidt, Z. M. Hackenbroch, and J. Rosenbaum in memory of the Exhibition of the Guelph Treasure held in the Cleveland Museum of Art from 10 January to 1 February 1931, 1931.65
id
112875
description
Ceremonial Cross of Count Liudolf, shortly after 1038. Germany, Lower Saxony?, Romanesque period, 11th century. Gold: worked in repoussé; cloisonné enamel; intaglio gems; pearls; wood core; overall: 24.2 x 21.6 cm (9 1/2 x 8 1/2 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of the John Huntington Art and Polytechnic Trust 1931.461
id
112876
description
Portable Altar of Countess Gertrude, c. 1045. Germany, Lower Saxony?, Romanesque period, 11th century. Gold, cloisonné enamel, porphyry, gems, pearls, niello, wood core; overall: 10.5 x 27.5 x 21 cm (4 1/8 x 10 13/16 x 8 1/4 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of the John Huntington Art and Polytechnic Trust 1931.462
citations
citation
W. M. M. “The Acquisition of Six Objects from the Guelph Treasure for the Cleveland Museum of Art.” <em>The Bulletin of the Cleveland Museum of Art</em> 17, no. 9 (November 1930): 165–178, 183.
page_number
Mentioned: p. 168-169; reproduced: p. 174
citation
W. M. M. “The Acquisition of Six Objects from the Guelph Treasure for the Cleveland Museum of Art: Foreword.” <em>The Bulletin of the Cleveland Museum of Art</em> 17, no. 9 (November 1930): 163–165.
page_number
Mentioned: p. 163-165
citation
The Cleveland Museum of Art. <em>The Cleveland Museum of Art Handbook.</em> Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1958.
page_number
Mentioned and Reproduced: cat. no. 76
citation
The Cleveland Museum of Art. <em>Handbook of the Cleveland Museum of Art/1966</em>. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1966.
page_number
Reproduced: p. 47
citation
The Cleveland Museum of Art. <em>Handbook of the Cleveland Museum of Art/1969</em>. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1969.
page_number
Reproduced: p. 47
citation
The Cleveland Museum of Art. <em>Handbook of the Cleveland Museum of Art/1978</em>. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1978.
page_number
Reproduced: p. 57
citation
Winter, Patrick M. de. “The Sacral Treasure of the Guelphs.” <em>The Bulletin of the Cleveland Museum of Art</em> 72, no. 1 (March 1985): 2–160.
page_number
Mentioned and reproduced: p. 59-61, plate x
citation
Cleveland Museum of Art, and Holger A. Klein<em>. Sacred Gifts and Worldly Treasures: Medieval Masterworks from the Cleveland Museum of Art.</em> Cleveland, Ohio: Cleveland Museum of Art, 2007.
page_number
Mentioned and reproduced: P. 18
creditline
Gift of the John Huntington Art and Polytechnic Trust
sketchfabId
d13df5b22bb64abc981df8d49280bed4
updatedAt
2026-06-18 21:16:19.347000
sourceId
112318
dept
Medieval Art
coll
MED - Romanesque
med
ivory
thumbnail_url
image_url
Single page context
seq
1
pageIndex
0
type
photo
mediaId
67b740dcdc24ebff