Diana with Eagle

The relief of Diana with Eagle came from the Jakob Frank collection, bought for the Museum in 1906. It is very high quality work and is one of the best pieces within the group of figurines in the ivory collection. The figurine represents Roman goddess of the hunt Diana. Representations of classical mythology were the most highly exploited topics of small ivory sculpting in the 17th and 18th centuries. Germany and its great masters of the Baroque period occupied a special place in this work, which was meant primarily for exhibition in the Kunstkammers of the German electors. With the travels and popularity of these craftsmen, the influence of German Baroque ivory sculpting spread to other European countries.