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Gothic ivory Nativity, from a diptych

Image attached to M.21-1917

An image of Sculpture / Diptych. Nativity. Left wing of a diptych, ivory, carved in relief. Within the frame is a lozenge containing a quatrefoil, in which the scene is represented. The Virgin, reclining on her bed, reaches towards the Child in its manger, breathed on by ox and ass. St Joseph sits on the right behind the bed, and in the distance an angel appears to a shepherd with his flock. In the upper spandrels are two censing angels, and in the lower spandrels two angels support the lozenge. Carved ivory, height, whole, 9.6 cm, width, whole, 7.2, cm, circa 1300-1400. Gothic. Medieval. French.
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About this image

Sculpture / Diptych. Nativity. Left wing of a diptych, ivory, carved in relief. Within the frame is a lozenge containing a quatrefoil, in which the scene is represented. The Virgin, reclining on her bed, reaches towards the Child in its manger, breathed on by ox and ass. St Joseph sits on the right behind the bed, and in the distance an angel appears to a shepherd with his flock. In the upper spandrels are two censing angels, and in the lower spandrels two angels support the lozenge. Carved ivory, height, whole, 9.6 cm, width, whole, 7.2, cm, circa 1300-1400. Gothic. Medieval. French.

Image data

  • Accession Number: M.21-1917
  • Photograph copyright © The Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge.
  • Aperture: f/16.0
  • Focal length: 120
  • Camera: Hasselblad H3DII-31
  • Photographer name: Amy Jugg
  • Image height: 1025 pixels
  • Image width: 788 pixels
  • Processed with: Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 5.4 (Windows)
  • Filesize: 626.24kB
  • Exposure time: 1/60
  • ISO Speed: 100
  • Fnumber: 16/1
  • Captured: 2013:01:24 15:36:15

Key words

14th Century angelic angels animal animals annunciation annunciation to the shepherds ass Baby Jesus Bible biblical carved censers Christ Christ child Christianity Christmas cows devotional diptych donkeys Fitz_AA French Gothic infant Christ ivory Jesus Joseph lozenge Madonna manger Marian Mary Mary and Joseph Medieval mother mother and child nativity New Testament ox oxen quatrefoil reclining relief religion religious Saint Joseph sculpture sheep shepherds spandrels St Joseph swaddled swaddling Virgin and Child Virgin Mary winged wings Xmas

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