AMICA ID:
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MMA_.1977.421
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AMICA Library Year:
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2000
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Object Type:
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Sculpture
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Creator Nationality:
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European; Carolignian
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Creator Name-CRT:
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Carolingian
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Title:
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Plaque with Saint John the Evangelist
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View:
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Full View
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Creation Date:
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early 9th century
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Creation Start Date:
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800
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Creation End Date:
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833
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Materials and Techniques:
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Elephant ivory
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Classification Term:
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Ivories
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Dimensions:
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7 3/16 x 3 3/4 in. (18.3 x 9.5 cm)
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AMICA Contributor:
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The Metropolitan Museum of Art
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Owner Location:
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New York, New York, USA
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ID Number:
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1977.421
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Credit Line:
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The Cloisters Collection, 1977
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Rights:
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Context:
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Until 1977, when it appeared at a London auction, this ivory from the Carolingian "Renaissance" was unknown. Carved in high relief, the frontally enthroned Evangelist displays his Gospel with the opening phrase IN PRINCI / PIO ERAT / VERBVM ("In the beginning was the Word" [John 1:1]. The arch, with its rich acanthus decoration, is supported by elaborate columns and encloses John's symbol, the eagle, which is directly above him. The entire composition is framed by a simple inscribed border. The text of this inscription is based on a line from the "Carmen Paschale," a poem by the fifth-century Christian writer Sedulius. Among the remarkable features of this ivory are John's loose, classical pallium and mantle, whose calligraphic treatment and plasticity verge on pure fantasy. This tendency toward a sumptuous ornamental effect, in which the abundant drapery patterns and textures take on a life of their own, becomes a characteristic of several ivories of the Court School of Charlemagne (r. 768-814). Artistically, these ivories are very close to the manuscripts produced in Aachen for the court of Charlemagne; this resemblance suggests that they probably were carved there. Some scholars have maintained that some of these ivories may date into the reign of his successor, Louis the Pious (814-840). |
Related Image Identifier Link:
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MMA_.cl1977.421.R.tif
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