Right wing of a diptych with the Crucifixion
The Crucifixion, right wing of a diptych

Diptychs were the amongst the most popular format for medieval carved ivories. Held in the hand like a book, they were intimate objects carved with scenes from the lives of Christ or the Virgin Mary. Their owners would have known the biblical stories well and used these works as supports for meditation. The figures' expressive faces and gestures, their modern clothing and the vividly carved details would have lent a sense of immediacy to the scenes.

Many diptychs have survived as single leaves. The missing left wing of this diptych has not been identified but the most common pairings with the Crucifixion show scenes relating to Christ's birth (the Nativity and the Adoration) or Mary holding baby Jesus in her arms. Such a pairing is seen on the small diptych with royal donors displayed to the left, and in the splendid, larger diptych on the other side of this case.

Typical of these plaques is the way biblical scenes are set within gothic arches, imitating religious buildings of the period. Here, traces of gold leaf survive in the architectural details, the hems of the figures' robes, the veil worn by Mary (standing to Christ's right) and the beards of the elderly figures clustered behind Saint John the Evangelist.

Information not yet known or updated

Inscription: inscribed on reverse with large 4 in black ink