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Gravoir: M.1-1919

An image of Gravoir
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An image of Gravoir
An image of Gravoir
An image of Gravoir
Current Location: Gallery 32 (Rothschild)

Maker(s)

Production: Unknown (Uncertain)

Entities

Categories

Description

Gravoir, probably used as a back scratcher or hair parter. A long curved ivory instrument tapering to a point. The handle is carved with two little figures: the man wears a pointed hood and a tunic with short hanging sleeves. His right arm is around the shoulders of the woman, who has long plaits and wears a high-waisted dress. Her left arm is clasped round his waist. The front of these figures is well-worn. A narrow band of ornament extends around the base of the handle.

Legal notes

F. Leverton Harris Bequest

Measurements and weight

Height: 32.2 cm
Width: 2.7 cm

Acquisition and important dates

Method of acquisition: Bought (1919-05-21) by Harris, Frederick Leverton

Dating

13th Century, Late
14th Century
15th Century, Early
Circa 1270 - Circa 1430

Note

June 1923: Eric Maclagan said he thought it could not possibly be earlier than the 14th century and might be 15th century.

School or Style

Gothic
Medieval

People, subjects and objects depicted

Components of the work

Handle

Materials used in production

Ivory

References and bibliographic entries

Related exhibitions

Identification numbers

Accession number: M.1-1919
Primary reference Number: 31718

Audit data

Created: Saturday 6 August 2011 Updated: Monday 29 April 2024

Associated departments & institutions

Owner or interested party: The Fitzwilliam Museum
Associated department: Applied Arts

Citation for print

This record can be cited in the Harvard Bibliographic style using the text below:

The Fitzwilliam Museum (2025) "Gravoir" Web page available at: https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/object/31718 Accessed: 2025-12-06 20:25:22

Citation for Wikipedia

To cite this record on Wikipedia you can use this code snippet:

{{cite web|url=https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/object/31718 |title=Gravoir |author=The Fitzwilliam Museum|accessdate=2025-12-06 20:25:22|publisher=The University of Cambridge}}

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https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/api/v1/objects/object-31718

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    <figure class="figure">
        <img src="https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/imagestore/aa/aa37/m_1_1919_1_201301_amt49_dc2.jpg"
        alt="Gravoir"
        class="img-fluid" />
        <figcaption class="figure-caption text-info">Gravoir</figcaption>
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