Unknown Artist
Madonna and Child
Possibly late 13th century
Physical Qualities
Ivory, silver, and traces of paint, 6 3/4 x 2 x 1 in. (17.1 x 5.1 x 2.5 cm.)
Credit Line
Bequest of Saidie A. May
Object Number
1951.452
In this delicate carving, the Virgin, wearing a silver crown, holds the Christ Child high on her hip and clutches His hand with hers. The rear of the ivory is not carved, and small holes suggest the piece was mounted onto a backing.
In 13th and 14th century Europe, ivory carving flourished as an art form due to the availability of elephant tusks from the East. Urban workshops and guilds turned out a wide range of religious and secular objects. Paris, in particular, became known for the production of small, graceful statues such as this, intended for private devotion.
Baltimore Museum of Art by bequest, 1951; Baltimore Museum of Art on extended loan from Saidie A. May, 1933-1951; Saidie A. May, New York, NY, until 1933.
Artist
Unknown Artist
On View: Jacobs, Gallery 6
