Creative Commons License
Creative Commons License
Creative Commons License
Creative Commons License
Creative Commons License
Creative Commons License
Creative Commons License
Ivory Pyx with Scenes from the Passion of Christ
(Renaissance Europe )
This pyx, a container used in the Catholic Mass for the consecrated wafer, has lost it cover. The artist was an ivory carver of the Sapi people of coastal West Africa who was working on commission from a Portuguese trader who expected to sell such exotic objects to princely patrons in Europe. The images of the Passion of Christ are taken from a contemporary European illustrated Bible. Most of the works in ivory commissioned from West African carvers were for conspicuous display, such as magnificent salt cellars for the tables of the wealthy, but they all share the treasured characteristic of intricate surface design. One Portuguese writing in the 16th century described these carvers as "very ingenious, and their objects, wonderful to see." The Sapi style of ivory carving is evident in the dense mass of figures and the textured, linear design.
Provenance
Provenance (from the French provenir, 'to come from/forth') is the chronology of the ownership, custody, or location of a historical object. Learn more about provenance at the Walters.
Henry Walters, Baltimore [date and mode of acquisition unknown]; Walters Art Museum, 1931, by bequest.
Exhibitions
| 2012-2013 | Revealing the African Presence in Renaissance Europe. The Walters Art Museum, Baltimore; Princeton University Art Museum, Princeton. |
| 2007 | Encompassing the Globe. Freer Gallery of Art, Washington. |
| 1992-1993 | 1492: An Ongoing Voyage. The Library of Congress, Washington. |
Conservation
| Date | Description | Narrative |
|---|---|---|
| 9/23/1983 | Treatment | cleaned; repaired |
Geographies
Sierra Leone (Place of Origin)
Measurements
H: 3 1/8 x Diam: 4 5/16 in. (7.9 x 10.9 cm)
Credit Line
Acquired by Henry Walters
Location in Museum
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.
71.108