Synopses & Reviews
This authoritative, accessible survey is the first since 1927 devoted entirely to ivories of the Middle Ages. Color photographs display the VandAand#8217;s significant collection, which is especially strong in Carolingian, Anglo-Saxon, and English Romanesque examples. Following an essay on the VandAand#8217;s collecting and study of these masterpieces, the book features major works from every era of the period: the Symmachi Panel from late antiquity; the front cover of the Lorsch Gospels from the Carolingian era; the Ottonian Basilewsky Situla; the Veroli Casket from 10th-century Byzantium; the St Nicholas Crozier; the enigmatic whalebone carving of the Adoration of the Magi from the Romanesque 12th century; and numerous others. Each entry provides a full physical and scholarly discussion, synthesizing the existand#173;ing literature and incorporating new research.
Praise for MEDIEVAL IVORY CARVINGS:
and#147;A summation of a lifetimeand#8217;s involvement with the study of medieval ivories and a triumph of scholarship and#150; one of the defining publications in the field.and#8221; The Art Newspaper
and#160;
and#147;The end result is the nearest thing to perfection attained in any catalogue of ivories today.and#8221;
West 86th: A Journal of Decorative Arts, Design History, and Material Culture (Bard Graduate Center)
and#160;
and#147;The volume is, in sum, not simply a catalogue of ivories but a fundamental contribution to the history of medieval art.and#8221; The Burlington Magazine
and#160;
and#147;A superlative achievement, setting a high standard for all future catalogues and making an immense contribution to scholarship.and#8221; Speculum: Journal of Medieval Studies
Synopsis
More than 500 Baroque and later ivories from the V&As outstanding collection are illustrated and discussed in this scholarly catalogue. Included here is every ivory sculpture made after 1550 from a collection comprising German, Austrian, Netherlandish, British, French, Italian, Scandinavian, Russian, and Spanish pieces, as well as examples from the Philippines, Goa, Sri Lanka, and South America. The range of objects is extensive: statuettes, reliefs, tankards, boxes, cabinets, and cutlery handles are all represented.
The high quality of the V&As holdings is readily apparent; leading ivory sculptors to be found here include Francis van Bossuit, Benjamin Cheverton, Balthasar Griessman, Joachim Henne, Johann Christoph Ludwig Lüecke, David Le Marchand, and Balthasar Permoser. In addition to detailed entries on each piece, the introduction summarizes the history and techniques of Baroque and later ivory carving, while indexes of subjects and artists, in addition to a bibliography, provide a full scholarly apparatus.
About the Author
Paul Williamson is keeper of sculpture, metalwork, ceramics, and glass at the VandA. He has written and lectured extensively on medieval ivory carvings. His many books include Gothic Sculpture 1140and#8211;1300 and Netherlandish Sculpture.