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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

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.

Crozier of Bishop Otto I, Ivory, paint, silver, niello, and gilding, South Italian (ivory)/German (inscription)/Hildesheim (mount) — This image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.

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)

The Met

Medieval Art and The Cloisters at The Met

The Museum's collection of medieval and Byzantine art is among the most comprehensive in the world, encompassing the art of the Mediterranean and Europe from the fall of Rome to the beginning of the Renaissance.