

Plaque with Christ in Majesty and the Four Evangelists, 1000–1100; mounted on a 15th-century Lectionary
Ottonian (probably Cologne, Germany)
Ivory
Ottonian (probably Cologne, Germany)
Ivory
Overall 6 1/8 x 3 3/4 in. (15.6 x 9.5 cm)
Gift of George Blumenthal, 1941 (41.100.169)
In the four corners of this image, the Evangelists take active poses, each receiving his symbol as though inspired through it. In the lower left, the lion seems to speak to Mark, and in the lower right, the ox seems to open Luke's eyes. Above, the angel grasps Matthew's shoulders, and John turns his face to the eagle. In the center, Christ is dynamically posed, seated with bent legs and yet apparently set to burst the mandorla around him.







