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Crucifixion
(Byzantium and Early Russia)
This plaque depicts the Crucifixion with the mourning Virgin and Saint John the Evangelist. Apart from the inclusion of a canopy supported by columns, this ivory also differs from its contemporaries in its style; here the artist has carved his figures with much rounder faces and softer folds of drapery. The plaque was originally part of a triptych and holes for fastening its wings can be seen in each corner. It was originally part of a group of ivories called the Nicephoros Group, named for the emperor Nicephoros II.
Provenance
Provenance (from the French provenir, 'to come from/forth') is the chronology of the ownership, custody, or location of a historical object.
Henry Walters, Baltimore, 1924, by purchase; Walters Art Museum, 1931, by bequest.
Exhibitions
| 2011 | Cross References. Dumbarton Oaks, Washington. 2011. |
| 1995-1996 | Medieval Games of Love and War. The Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore. |
| 1983 | Five Thousand Years of Faces. Bellevue Art Museum, Bellevue. 1983. |
| 1947 | Early Christian and Byzantine Art. Baltimore Museum of Art, Baltimore. 1947. |
Conservation
| Date | Description | Narrative |
|---|---|---|
| 1/11/1962 | Treatment | cleaned |
| 12/1/1982 | Treatment | cleaned |
| 12/8/1982 | Examination | examined for loan |
| 1/10/2011 | Treatment | cleaned; other |
| 1/10/2011 | Treatment | The ivory was gently cleaned with a mild solution in 1982. In 2011 the ivory returned to the laboratory to be prepared for loan. Minor amounts of dirt had accumulated since the last cleaning, so this dirt was carefully removed again with a mild cleaning solution. Since the ivory would be traveling to another institution, a decision was made to reinforce one of the cracks from the back with an easily reversible technique to decrease any risk of splitting during travel. |
| 3/14/2011 | Examination | examined for loan |
Geographies
Byzantine Empire (Place of Origin)
Measurements
H: 5 5/16 x W: 4 3/16 x D: 1/4 in. (13.5 x 10.6 x 0.6 cm)
Credit Line
Acquired by Henry Walters, 1924
Location in Museum
Centre Street: Third Floor: Byzantine, Russian, and Ethiopian Icons
Accession Number
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
71.113