Diptych with Scenes from the Passion

This diminutive ivory diptych represents two scenes leading to the Passion of the Christs, the washing of the feet of the Apostles and the Agony in the Garden. This iconography is unusual for ivory diptychs of 14th and 15th century northern Europe, which when adorned with a single scene normally represent the Epiphany, Passion, and the Virgin and Child. This unusual iconography, the irregular frame, and small dimensions suggest that the diptych is composed of fragments of a larger ivory plaque that represented scenes from the Passion. It is likely that such a plaque was sawn into pieces and reassembled sometime after its creation, perhaps by a later owner seeking to salvage elements after damage.