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Dove

10th–11th century (?)
Not on view
Carved of walrus tusk, and now missing its original wings, this dove is a unique survival of such a figure in ivory and a very rare medieval sculpture of a bird executed fully in the round. Suspended from a beam or canopy, this sculpture may have hovered over a medieval church’s altar, symbolizing the Holy Spirit and representing its presence in the sacred space. It is possible to understand the dove as a kind of puppet – not usually the first thing that comes to mind when considering the liturgy of the medieval Church! Yet sculpture in the round often enhanced the performance of Christian ritual during the Middle Ages. Perhaps manipulated into "flight" through the tugging of strings attached to the holes drilled into its body, the dove could have "participated" in the ceremony of the Descent of the Holy Spirit associated with the feast of Pentecost. Alternatively, it could have indicated the presence of the Holy Spirit over a baptismal font during this sacrament of Christian initiation.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Dove
  • Date: 10th–11th century (?)
  • Culture: Spanish (?)
  • Medium: Walrus ivory
  • Dimensions: 2 1/16 × 4 1/2 × 1 9/16 in. (5.2 × 11.5 × 3.9 cm)
  • Classification: Ivories-Walrus
  • Credit Line: Purchase, Audrey Love Charitable Foundation Gift, in honor of Charles T. Little, and Funds from various donors, 2022
  • Object Number: 2022.33
  • Curatorial Department: Medieval Art and The Cloisters

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