Coronation of the Virgin; Christ crowning the Virgin.
Koechlin 1924: France, 1st third of 14th century.
Longhurst 1929: France, 1st half of the 14th century.
Gaborit-Chopin 1978: France (Paris), c. 1320-1330.
Williamson and Davies 2014: French (Paris), c. 1320.
Attribution
Unknown
Polychromy - Gilding
Extensive gilding and polychromy (19th century): gold (garments), brown (hair, beard, throne), fleshtones.
Reverse
Curved with scoring in the centre.
Large label with ink inscription: 'Q.44 / Coronation / of the Virgin, of / exquisite Italian / art. circ: 1250 / with the original / gilding & colour. / Exceedingly / [last two lines illegible]'.
Object Condition
Missing: Christ's left hand and forearm.
Virgin's head and crown chipped. Koechlin (1924) states that the hands of the Virgin and the right hand of Christ have been recarved, however Longhurst (1929) and Williamson (2014) disagree.
Large hole to the left to fix the relief to a background. Underside crosshatched for glue and with hole.
Provenance
Collection of David Falcke, London: his sale, Christie & Manson, London, 19 April-12 May 1858, lot 826, pl. XXIV (bought Chaffers); collection of W. and T. Bateman, Youlgrave, Derby, England: sale, Sotheby's, London, 14 April 1893, lot 32, pl. III; acquired by the museum in 1893.
Bibliography
Inventory of the Objects in the Art Division of the Museum at South Kensington, arranged according to the dates of their acquisition (London, 1868), I, p. 68.
A. Maskell, Ivories (Connoisseurs Library), (London, 1905), p. 179, pl. 34.
R. Koechlin, Les Ivoires gothiques français (Paris, 1924), I, p. 261; II, no. 728.
M. Longhurst, Catalogue of Carvings in Ivory, Victoria and Albert Museum, 2 vols (London, 1927 and 1929), II (1929), p. 33, pl. XXIV.
D. Gaborit-Chopin, Ivoires du Moyen Age (Freiburg, 1978), no. 231.
Medioevo e produzione artistica di serie. Smalti di Limoges e avori gotici in Campania, ed. by P. Giusti, P. Leone de Castris, exhibition catalogue, Naples, Museo Duca di Martina, 1981, p. 104.
P. Williamson and G. Davies, Medieval Ivory Carvings 1200-1550 (London, 2014), no. 38.
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