Click image to view full screen
Portable Altar
✓ Authenticity guarantee · ✓ Specialist condition report · ✓ Insured worldwide shipping · ✓ Private-room viewing
The principal decoration of this portable altar is carved of walrus ivory. On the long sides are traditional figures of standing apostles. On the short sides are the seated Virgin with the Magi, and Christ the Judge between the symbols of the Evangelists. The commercial ties between the Rhineland and the Norse peninsula made walrus ivory easily available to the city of Cologne, one of the most important artistic centers in medieval Germany.
| Artist / Maker | Germany, Cologne |
|---|---|
| Date | c. 1200–1220 |
| Culture / Origin | Germany, Cologne |
| Medium | walrus ivory, gilded copper, porphyry, champlevé enamel, wood core |
| Dimensions | Overall: 13.1 x 26.9 x 16.9 cm (5 3/16 x 10 9/16 x 6 5/8 in.) |
| Department | Medieval Art |
| Type | Ivory |
About the Artist
Provenance & Source
Image & data: Cleveland Museum of Art, CC0 / Public Domain.
Condition
A detailed condition report and high-resolution photography are available from our specialists in advance of the sale.
Shipping & Collection
Fine-art shipping with climate control and full insurance to over 120 countries; collection by appointment.
Buying at Matchless Pieces
Register, verify your identity, and bid online or in a private room. Buyer’s premium and taxes are shown before you confirm.
You May Also Like
Germany, Cologne
Diptych with Scenes from the Life of Saint Martin of Tours: The Consecration of Saint Martin as Bishop (left); Saint Martin Shares his Cloak with a Beggar
Germany, Cologne
Crucified Christ
The Cathedral of Monopoli
Fragment of a Capital with Scenes from Mary’s Infancy