Crozier of Bishop Otto I

South Italian (ivory)/German (inscription)/Hildesheim (mount)

mid 13th century or earlier (ivory)/ca. 1260 (inscription band)/first half 15th century (mount)

Not on view

Returned to lender

This work of art was on loan to the museum and has since been returned to its lender.

The bishop’s crook symbolizes his role as shepherd, a role emphasized by the inscription here. It translates as “Pasture the flock well; teach them, watch over them, and set them right in the best way. Gather, support, and goad the confused, the sick, and the slow. Pull with the top; lead with the middle; prod with the bottom.” Many similar ivory croziers were produced in southern Italy in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, likely by Muslim craftsmen.

Artwork Details

Overview

Provenance

Exhibition History

Title: Crozier of Bishop Otto I
Date: mid 13th century or earlier (ivory)/ca. 1260 (inscription band)/first half 15th century (mount)
Culture: South Italian (ivory)/German (inscription)/Hildesheim (mount)
Medium: Ivory, paint, silver, niello, and gilding
Dimensions: Overall: 66 1/8 x 6 5/16 in. (168 x 16 cm)
Classification: Ivories
Credit Line: Dom-Museum Hildesheim (DS 69)
Curatorial Department: Medieval Art and The Cloisters