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French
Not on view
This plaque of ivory served as half the protective cover for a convex mirror of silvered glass that was once cemented to the lathe-turned recess on its interior. When first made, the interior’s grooved rim formed one half of a bayonet mount which allowed it to lock into another side to form a complete protective case for the mirror. The carved exterior of the mirror depicts four scenes of courting couples separated by the branches of a tree. The eight cusps that surround the scenes are inhabited by foliate heads. The rim of the mirror depicts four prowling, equidistant lions, lending the whole object a square silhouette. For its size, the delicacy of the carving, and its excellent preservation, this mirror-back is among the most outstanding survivals of fourteenth-century Parisian ivory carving.
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Four scenes of courting couples - from left to right: standing male lover approaches woman holding a small dog, male lover kneels before his seated beloved with a gesture of submission and she responds by caressing his wrist, male lover holds a falcon and gestures with a chin chuck to a lady, who reacts with surprise, and kneeling lover offers his heart to a seated lady who holds a dog in her lap
Back: eight sided label with bown border and number 359 in ink
Artwork Details
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Title: Mirror Case with scenes of paired lovers
Date: 1350–75
Geography: Made in Paris, France
Culture: French
Medium: Elephant Ivory
Dimensions: Overall: 4 5/16 x 4 1/2 x 5/16 in. (10.9 x 11.4 x 0.8 cm)
Classification: Lacquer
Credit Line: Gift of Bernard Descheemaeker, in honor of Sir Paul Ruddock, 2021
Accession Number: 2021.36
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Related Artworks
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- Medieval Art
- Bone
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- Ivory
- Lacquer
- Mirrors
- From Europe
- From France
- From Paris
- From A.D. 1000–1400
Mirror Case
1350–75
Ivory Mirror Case with a Falconing Party
ca. 1330–60
Mirror Case
ca. 1350
Mirror Case
ca. 1350
Box with Romance Scenes
ca. 1310–30
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