Ivory Shrine with the Virgin and Child in the Cloisters, Sept. 2007

Shrine with the Virgin and Child
Elephant ivory
North France, ca. 1300-1350

Accession # 17.190.201

The 13th and 14th centuries saw an increased demand for small, portable devotional shrines or tabernacles made of ivory or metal. The courtly, elegant, yet tender Virgin standing in the center of this shrine is typical of the refined Gothic style of the early 14th century. The wings are carved in a rougher style. On the left are the Annunciation to Mary, the Visitation of Mary with Elizabeth, and the Three Magi. On the right are the Nativity and the Presentation in the Temple.

Text from the Cloisters label.