Right Leaf of a Diptych

This ivory is the right side of a diptych, a form of Christian devotional object composed of two panels joined by hinges. The matching panel, now detached, is currently in a private British collection (Williamson 2019, 244). Vertical strips decorated with roses and horizontal strips carved with beads divide the front into four low reliefs. The narrative proceeds chronologically from the lower left, moving from left to right, and ascending from the bottom register to the top. The scene on the lower left represents the visit of the Three Wise Men to Mary and the infant Jesus, and on the right, the entrance of the adult Jesus into Jerusalem on a donkey. Above left, Christ ascends into Heaven, leaving behind a stunned crowd of apostles, while above right shows the descent of the Holy Spirit, known as the Pentecost. Decorative canopies surmount all four scenes. Their distinctive shape of arches rotated to a forty-five degree angle and brickwork spires have allowed scholars to pair this panel with its missing left half, which is now in a private British collection. When complete, the entire narrative of the diptych moves across the two panels from left to right before traveling to the upper register. It thus began with the Annunciation followed by the Nativity, the visit of the wise men, the Entry into Jerusalem, the Crucifixion, the Three Maries at the Tomb, the Ascension of Christ, and the Descent of the Holy Spirit. The current panel is in relatively good condition. However, the carving is worn with the damage and loss of fine detail especially evident in the faces. The ivory exhibits extensive craquelure, and the upper part of the panel has been pierced three times.

In contrast to the carved front, the back of the panel was originally smooth, revealing the vertical grain of the panel. The back is heavily abraded and preserves traces of stickers and ink writing. Most evident of the inscriptions are the number 3 and the inventory numbers in red, but faded traces of earlier ink include the inscription:

"curious carving in ivory
bought by A Pugin 1825
1st subject: inexplicable
2nd subject descent of the Holy Ghost
3rd Subject: Adoration of the Magi
4th Subject: Entrance into Jerusalem"

This inscription provides invaluable information about the provenance of the panel. The "A Pugin" could refer to Augustus Pugin (d. 1832) or his son, Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin (d. 1852). Both father and son were interested in medieval art, but the son, Augustus, was one of the great proponents of a gothic revival in England during the nineteenth century, designing numerous high-profile buildings in medieval style, and writing manifestos on the "true principles" and moral value of gothic architecture that inspired design reformers such as William Morris (d. 1896) and Charles Eastlake (d.1906). Item 99 of A.W.N. Pugin’s 1853 estate sale is described as, "an ivory tablet in four compartments, representing St. Peter in conversation with saints, the Descent of the Holy Ghost, Adoration of the Magi, and Christs entry into Jerusalem, in high relief, beautiful gilt metal frame, of the XIVth century," which could well be this ivory.

Further Reading:

Harvey Stahl, "Narrative Structure and Content in Some Gothic Ivories of the Life of Christ" in Images in Ivory: Precious Objects of the Gothic Age, edited by Peter Barnet (Detroit: Detroit Institute of Arts, 1997), pp. 94-114.

Paul Williamson and Glyn Davies, Medieval Ivory Carvings, 1200–1550. Part I (London: Victoria and Albert Museum, 2014), p. 234.

Paul Williamson, The Wyvern Collection: Medieval and Later Ivory Carvings and Small Sculpture (London: Thames and Hudson Ltd, 2019), pp. 244-245.


Catalogue Entry by Scott Miller, Andrew W. Mellon Curatorial and Research Collections Specialist, Department of Medieval Art and The Cloisters, 2020–2022

possibly Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin (British)(until 1853); his sale Sotheby's, LondonFebruary 12, 1853, lot 99; possibly William Chaffers, London (from 1853); Georges Hoentschel (French); J. Pierpont Morgan (American), London and New York (until 1917)

Pératé, André. Collections Georges Hoentschel: Ivoires, orfèvrerie religieuse, pierres. Vol. 2. Paris: Librairie Centrale des Beaux-Arts, 1911. no. 43, fig. XXXVI.

Koechlin, Raymond. Les Ivoires Gothiques Français: Volume I, Text. Paris: Editions Auguste Picard, 1924. no. 388, pp. 187,192,200,215,294.

Koechlin, Raymond. Les Ivoires Gothiques Français: Volume II, Catalogue. Paris: Editions Auguste Picard, 1924. no. 388, p. 163.

Koechlin, Raymond. Les Ivoires Gothiques Français: Volume III, Plates. Paris: Editions Auguste Picard, 1924. no. 388, pl. LXXXIV.

Williamson, Paul, and Glyn Davies. Medieval Ivory Carvings, 1200–1550. Vol. 1. London: Victoria and Albert Museum, 2014. p. 234.