Photos of the Romanesque Sculpted Ivory Panels & Triptychs

Home  /  Medieval Middle Ages Index / Romanesque Art

Photos of Gothic & Romanesque Sculpted Ivory Panels & Triptychs including Byzantine . Photos by photographer Paul E Williams.  (TIP – use the icons below the slideshow for thumbnail photos and info)

How To Download These Photos ?

Photos of Gothic & Romanesque Sculpted Ivory Panel & Triptychs

---

Photos of Medieval Romanesque and Gothic Ivory sculptures including Panels & Triptychs

One of the most precious antiquities of Medieval Europe are the fragile ivory antiquities that have somehow survived.

Medieval Romanesque book covers were carved out of ivory as well as many different types of religious items from plaques to ecclesiastic furniture.

In the thirteenth century Ivory became more available leading to a revival of ivory carving.

In the Gothic period ivory was used to make statuettes as well as small decorative panels which were folded together to form diptychs (two panels), triptychs (three panels), and polyptychs (many panels). These panels were carved in low relief with religious scenes.

Other luxury ivory items included luxury objects for personal use, such as combs, mirror backs, writing tablets, and caskets.

The golden age of Gothic ivory carving spanned a century and a half, from about 1230 to 1380, at which point the supply of ivory to northern Europe again dwindled.