Creative Commons License
Creative Commons License
Book-Cover Plaque with the Crucifixion and Holy Women at the Tomb
(Medieval Europe )
In the upper scene, the crucified Christ is flanked by the Virgin, St. John, and the Roman soldiers Longinus and Stephaton. A coiled serpent, symbolizing conquered evil, wraps its tongue around the base of the cross. Below, the Holy Women are greeted by an angel at the empty tomb of Christ, carved to look like the Holy Sepulcher (the site of Christ's burial) in Jerusalem. This Carolingian ivory, with its animated figures and fluid drapery, dates to the reign of Charles the Bald, grandson of Charlemagne.
Provenance
Provenance (from the French provenir, 'to come from/forth') is the chronology of the ownership, custody, or location of a historical object.
[Said to be from the Abbey of Maroilles, Picardy]; Augustin Lambert, Paris [date and mode of acquisition unknown]; Henri Daguerre, Paris [date and mode of acquisition unknown]; Henry Walters, Baltimore, 1926, by purchase; Walters Art Museum, 1931, by bequest.
Exhibitions
| 1999-2000 | Vive la France! French Treasures from the Middle Ages to Monet. The Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore. |
| 1983-1984 | Ivory: The Sumptuous Art. The Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore. |
| 1957-1958 | The History of Bookbinding 525-1950 A.D.. Baltimore Museum of Art, Baltimore. |
| 1948 | The Life of Christ. Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art, Hartford. |
| 1937 | Art of the Dark Ages. Worcester Art Museum, Worcester. |
| 1937 | The Dark Ages. Worcester Art Museum, Worcester. |
Conservation
| Date | Description | Narrative |
|---|---|---|
| 10/24/2011 | Examination | other |
Geographies
France (Place of Origin)
Measurements
H: 6 1/2 x W: 3 7/16 x D: 1/4 in. (16.5 x 8.7 x 0.7 cm)
Credit Line
Acquired by Henry Walters, 1926
Location in Museum
Centre Street: Third Floor: Migration and Early Medieval Art
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.
71.142