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Source Description
The first such ivory figurines of the Virgin and Child appeared around 1225 and were inspired by the monumental stone sculpture on the portals of Gothic cathedrals. This piece contains a number of symbolic details: The crown identifies the Virgin as the Queen of Heaven. The lily she holds stands for her purity. The orb in Christ's hand reminds the viewer that the infant child is also the creator and ruler of the universe. The elegant sway of the Virgin's body reflects the curve of the elephant tusk from which the figure was carved. Ivory became widely available in western Europe after the Fourth Crusade of 1204 opened the commercial routes leading from Constantinople through Egypt to the interior of Africa.
Scholar Source Context
Document identity
localId
34671
label
Virgin and Child
core
obj
dtoType
object
citationUrl
pageCount
1
Source metadata
id
34671
sourceUrl
contentType
object
stage
normalized
title
Virgin and Child
description
The first such ivory figurines of the Virgin and Child appeared around 1225 and were inspired by the monumental stone sculpture on the portals of Gothic cathedrals. This piece contains a number of symbolic details: The crown identifies the Virgin as the Queen of Heaven. The lily she holds stands for her purity. The orb in Christ's hand reminds the viewer that the infant child is also the creator and ruler of the universe. The elegant sway of the Virgin's body reflects the curve of the elephant tusk from which the figure was carved. Ivory became widely available in western Europe after the Fourth Crusade of 1204 opened the commercial routes leading from Constantinople through Egypt to the interior of Africa.
provenance
Carlo Micheli (Micaëli), Paris, by purchase; Octave Homberg, Paris [date of acquisition unknown], by purchase; Dr. de Saint Germain, Paris [date of acquisition unknown], by purchase; Henri Daguerre, Paris [date of acquisition unknown], by purchase; Henry Walters, Baltimore, 1922, by purchase; Walters Art Museum, 1931, by bequest.
date
1350-1360 (Medieval)
citationUrl
rightsUri
CC0
language
en
genreSpecific
Ivory & Bone
figurines
imageCount
1
pageCount
1
source
import
dimensions
units
cm
width
21.6
height
6.8
depth
5.7
dimensionsRaw
H: 8 1/2 x W: 2 11/16 x D: 2 1/4 in. (21.6 x 6.8 x 5.7 cm)
Source extras
cul
French
style
Gothic
dynasty
Valois Dynasty
med
ivory
creator_ids
6229
collection_ids
MED
exhibition_ids
1957
2064
246
316
2752
2816
Single page context
seq
1
pageIndex
0
type
photo
mediaId
4cd2064bb959ea3e