File:The ivory workers of the middle ages (1906) (14776959251).jpg

Identifier: ivoryworkersmidage00cust (find matches)
Title: The ivory workers of the middle ages
Year: 1906 (1900s)
Authors: Cust, Anna Maria Elizabeth
Subjects: Ivories
Publisher: London, G. Bell and sons
Contributing Library: Getty Research Institute
Digitizing Sponsor: Getty Research Institute

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Text Appearing Before Image:
evan-gelists. On the second leaf, in addition to themedallion containing the figure of St. Nicasiusare some pierced vine scrolls rather like those on 130 ROMAXESOUE AND GOTHIC IVORIES ^>i«r. Fig. 23, and by far the best part of a very poor work. The drapery is, perhaps, better designed than in the Carlovingian sculptures, but the folds are only engraved, and though there is a certain change in the type of the faces, in the matter of beauty it is entirely for the worse. A plaque in the British Museum seems also to belonor to this period, it is bordered by a flowered scroll and has representations of The Nativity, The An- notc7icement to the Shep- he7^ds and The Baptism, the latter beinor verv strange; the figure of Christ being immersed to the waist in a laro-e vase. The Romanesque agewas, above all, the ageof symbolism ; the sculp-tures on the pastoralstaves are full of hiddenmeaning. The tan, or crutch shape, is the earliestform and belonged, more especially, to the insignia 131
Text Appearing After Image:
(VICTORIA AND ALBERTMUSELM, LONDON 27. CROZIERFrench, fourteenth centur)- IVORY WORKERS of the abbots, though in later days they also hadcroziers. The most ancient tau ^ belonged toMorard, Abbot of St. Germain de Pres (990-1014)and is ornamented with a network pattern.Another fine tau, with the ends curling upwardsand finished with lions heads, belonged to Gerard,Bishop of Limoges. The earlier croziers had a simple volute usuallyending in a dragons or serpents head, with snap-ping jaws, which symbolizes the struggle betweenthe serpent and the cross,^ the latter being borne bythe symbolic ram, a development of the Agnus Dei.This ram is the symbol of Christ; as St. Ambrosesays, because he washes his fleece, guides theflock, clothes the shepherd, conquers the wolvesby his strength and was the victim which replacedIsaac at the sacrifice, and again, because the ramis silent before the shearers, as Christ was beforehis judges, and finally the crozier curls like thehorn of a ram, a symbol of

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