Saxon & Medieval — Early Medieval; early 12th century
Corpus; Christ crucified
This finely carved piece of ivory is a fragment of a figure of Christ from a crucifix. It is carved in the early medieval Romanesque style, and was probably made in the 1120s or 1130s. The ivory comes not from an elephant but from a walrus. Walrus tusks from the Arctic seas were brought to northern Europe by traders from Scandinavia at a time when the spread of Islam disrupted trade in the Mediterranean, and elephant ivory from Africa or India wasn't available.
- Category:
- Saxon & Medieval
- Object ID:
- 4980
- Object name:
- Corpus; Christ crucified
- Object type:
- Artist/Maker:
- —
- Related people:
- —
- Related events:
- —
- Related places:
- Production date:
- Early Medieval; early 12th century
- Material:
- bone, walrus ivory
- Measurements/duration:
- H 134 mm, W 33 mm, T 29 mm (overall)
- Part of:
- —
- On display:
- —
- Record quality:
- 100%
- Part of this object:
- —
- Credit:
- —
- Copyright holder:
- digital image © London Museum
- Image credit:
- —
- Creative commons usage:
- —
- License this image:
To license this image for commercial use, please contact the London Museum Picture Library.