Gothic Ivories Project | Polyptych (tabernacle) (Front)

Polyptych (tabernacle) (Front)

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Side, closed

Detail, front

Detail, side

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Subject
Religious. Saints. Apostles.

Repository Institution
musei.comune.cremona.it

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Cremona, Museo Civico 'Ala Ponzone'

Inv. H 20

Ivory;wood;gilt metal (hinges)

Height: 150 mm (statuette only)
Width: 241mm

Wings, left
Register 1: Saint Paul holding a sword and book; saint John the Evangelist with the poisoned cup; blessing gesture.
Register 2: Saint James the Greater with pilgrim's hat, staff and satchel; saint Philip with a cross.
Register 3: Saint Andrew with a saltire cross; saint Simon with a saw.
Centre panel
Standing Virgin and Child; bare-chested Christ; Christ seated on the Virgin's right arm; blessing gesture.
Wings, right
Register 1: Saint Peter holding a key; saint James the Lesser with a fuller's club.
Register 2: saint Bartholomew with a flaying knife; saint (apostle) with an axe (saint Jude (Thaddeus), Matthew or Matthias?).
Register 3: Saint Judas with a spear; saint Thomas with a square; open book.
Base inscription (incomplete): 'REGINA CELI LETARE [...]'.
Canopy with ogee arch, decorated with flamboyant tracery; row of blind arches.
Crosshatched background; fleur-de-lys pattern on the background; foliated decoration in the spandrels.

Museum's opinion 2013: France, 15th century.

Attribution
Unknown

Hinges
Two sets of two hinges on either side.

Polychromy - Gilding
Extensive gilding and polychromy: gold (fleur-de-lys;hair; halos; architectural details; frames; crown; attributes, etc.), green (ground), blue (lining of garments; frames; arches), red (mouths).

Reverse
The back is decorated with intarsia work in ivory and wood, forming a pattern of lozenges.

Object Condition
Missing: one plaque on the right side of the base (inscription incomplete); part of the Virgin's crown; parts of the edge of the saint Paul panel.

Provenance
Bequest of marquess Giuseppe Sigismondo Ala Ponzone in 1842, and previously inventoried as 'Antico Inv. Ponzone XI.N, n. 69'.

Bibliography
A. Ebani, 'Raccolte artistiche diverse', in Il museo si rinnova: duecento opere e un progetto globale, ed. by I. Iotta (Milan, 1992), pp. 199-205, p. 204, fig. III.105.

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