Folding Devotional Shrine with Scenes from Christ's Passion

ca. 1350

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 306

Some private devotional objects were intended to encourage meditation on the events of the Passion in great detail, cultivating a feeling of personal presence. Narrative carvings may have aided in such intense visualization. This particular choice of scenes is striking in its attention to Pontius Pilate, its depiction of both the raising of the cross and Jesus nailed to the cross, and its inclusion of the rare episode of the stripping and buffeting of Christ.

Artwork Details

Title: Folding Devotional Shrine with Scenes from Christ's Passion
Date: ca. 1350
Geography: Made in Rhineland, France or Germany
Culture: French or German
Medium: Elephant Ivory, with modern paint, gilding, and metal mounts
Dimensions: Overall (open): 9 7/16 x 12 11/16 x 3/8 in. (23.9 x 32.2 x 1 cm)
Overall (closed): 9 7/16 x 3 1/8 x 1 5/8 in. (23.9 x 8 x 4.2 cm)
Classification: Ivories-Elephant
Credit Line: Gift of J. Pierpont Morgan, 1917
Object Number: 17.190.205
Curatorial Department: Medieval Art and The Cloisters

Audio

3140. Polyptych with Scenes from Christ's Passion

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