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ISO ID: Met Museum reproduction ivories
Posted: Tue Nov 13, 2012 1:13 am
by Klaus the Red
I just picked these up on eBay:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/130801582082?ss ... 1497.l2649
They are supposedly cast from pieces in the collection of the Met or the Cloisters, but I can't find the originals online in their posted catalog, nor in my library. Can anyone identify them? (Ignore the little boy on the left, I don't count that one.) My gut says 11th century or earlier.
This is the second purchase I've made of castings from the Met's medieval ivories; I've also acquired a pair of 14th century mirror cases. These are really cool and I'm always looking for more of them, though the museum shop no longer carries them.
Klaus
Re: ISO ID: Met Museum reproduction ivories
Posted: Tue Nov 13, 2012 2:35 am
by Baron Alcyoneus
I'd call them Romanesque rather than Gothic. The Met's online catalog is pretty worthless for searching. "Medieval ivory angel" gets me crap like a painting from 1756, among 9418 other results.
Re: ISO ID: Met Museum reproduction ivories
Posted: Tue Nov 13, 2012 10:05 am
by Klaus the Red
I agree, not "Gothic," properly speaking- hence my dating estimate. The angel on the right strikes me as Carolingian or Ottonian.
Re: ISO ID: Met Museum reproduction ivories
Posted: Tue Nov 13, 2012 10:54 am
by Ernst
Not seeing either in the refined Met search for European Ivory 500-1000 A.D.
http://www.metmuseum.org/collections/se ... pp=20&pg=1
A quick perusal of European Ivory 1000-1400 A.D. didn't show anything either.
http://www.metmuseum.org/collections/se ... pp=60&pg=1
Could they be book covers from the Morgan?
Re: ISO ID: Met Museum reproduction ivories
Posted: Tue Nov 13, 2012 10:59 am
by Klaus the Red
Given that the larger piece is dated 1982, and thus predates the common use of the internets, it's quite possible that the original was put back into storage before the current collection went online. I may need to go digging into--gasp!--printed catalogs. I will consult my dad the art dealer and catalog packrat.
Re: ISO ID: Met Museum reproduction ivories
Posted: Tue Nov 13, 2012 12:01 pm
by Baron Alcyoneus
Email the Met, maybe they'll tell you.
Re: ISO ID: Met Museum reproduction ivories
Posted: Tue Nov 13, 2012 1:09 pm
by Ernst
Or just check their store.
http://store.metmuseum.org/wall-decor+s ... /06060107/
Our hand-painted, cast marble Vatican Nativity Plaque is made from a mold of a tenth- or eleventh-century original. In this Nativity scene the Infant Jesus is shown twice: once in the foreground being bathed, and then again swaddled in the crib by the side of the reclining Mary. The star shines above his head, and the ox and the ass in the manger peer into the crib. At the far left, two shepherds stand amidst their flock, one pointing at the star while the other, holding his shepherd’s crook, stares in awe. Above the crib are three angels. At the lower left Joseph, with his back turned upon the scene, sits in wonderment.
Cast marble. 5'' x 6 1/4''.
Re: ISO ID: Met Museum reproduction ivories
Posted: Tue Nov 13, 2012 1:34 pm
by Klaus the Red
Well, I'll be damned- I kinda missed that listing.
Thanks!
Re: ISO ID: Met Museum reproduction ivories
Posted: Tue Nov 13, 2012 1:39 pm
by Klaus the Red
And yet they offer no information on the original piece other than "10th-11th century," nor is the smaller plaque listed. I did e-mail the shop yesterday, waiting to hear back.
Re: ISO ID: Met Museum reproduction ivories
Posted: Tue Nov 13, 2012 5:22 pm
by Ernst
I gather it's in one of the Vatican's collections rather than the Met's.
Re: ISO ID: Met Museum reproduction ivories
Posted: Tue Nov 13, 2012 5:42 pm
by Klaus the Red
There seem to be a thousand posts of the Met copy floating around the ether, but none of the original. The general consensus seems to be that it's Byzantine.
Re: ISO ID: Met Museum reproduction ivories
Posted: Wed Nov 14, 2012 10:22 pm
by Gerhard von Liebau
Damn, you got it for a great price compared to what they're asking for it new. Plus the other little pieces... Lucky!
Re: ISO ID: Met Museum reproduction ivories
Posted: Thu Nov 15, 2012 12:52 am
by Klaus the Red
I got 2 copies of this mirror case a few weeks ago, too- one for me, one for my lady.
http://www.metmuseum.org/Collections/se ... Bone&pos=5