Mirror Case with scenes of paired lovers
This plaque of ivory served as half the protective cover for a convex mirror of silvered glass that was once cemented to the lathe-turned recess on its interior. When first made, the interior’s grooved rim formed one half of a bayonet mount which allowed it to lock into another side to form a complete protective case for the mirror. The carved exterior of the mirror depicts four scenes of courting couples separated by the branches of a tree. The eight cusps that surround the scenes are inhabited by foliate heads. The rim of the mirror depicts four prowling, equidistant lions, lending the whole object a square silhouette. For its size, the delicacy of the carving, and its excellent preservation, this mirror-back is among the most outstanding survivals of fourteenth-century Parisian ivory carving.
Artwork Details
- Title: Mirror Case with scenes of paired lovers
- Date: 1350–75
- Geography: Made in Paris, France
- Culture: French
- Medium: Elephant Ivory
- Dimensions: Overall: 4 5/16 x 4 1/2 x 5/16 in. (10.9 x 11.4 x 0.8 cm)
- Classification: Ivories-Elephant
- Credit Line: Gift of Bernard Descheemaeker, in honor of Sir Paul Ruddock, 2021
- Object Number: 2021.36
- Curatorial Department: Medieval Art and The Cloisters
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French
1350–75
French
ca. 1330–60
French
ca. 1350
French
ca. 1350
French
ca. 1310–30
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