Loading

Ivory Plaque with Enthroned Mother of God ("The Stroganoff Ivory")

950–1025

The Cleveland Museum of Art

The Cleveland Museum of Art
Cleveland, United States

The Mother of God is seated on a lavishly carved, high-backed throne. Two angels hover above, drawing attention to the Christ child poised in her lap. Representations of the enthroned Virgin and Child have a long tradition in Byzantine art, stretching back as far as the 6th century. With one hand raised in blessing, the other holding a scroll, Christ is portrayed here as an emotionless and supernatural child, visualizing for the pious beholder the mystery of his incarnation.

Show lessRead more
Download this artwork (provided by The Cleveland Museum of Art).
Learn more about this artwork.
  • Title: Ivory Plaque with Enthroned Mother of God ("The Stroganoff Ivory")
  • Date Created: 950–1025
  • Physical Dimensions: Overall: 25.3 x 17.2 x 1.8 cm (9 15/16 x 6 3/4 x 11/16 in.)
  • Provenance: Bastard Collection, Paris, France, Francis Douce, London (d. 1834), Douce and Meyrick Collection, Collection of Count Stroganoff (1794-1882), Rome, Italy, Malcolm Collection, sold at Christie's May 1, 1913, No. 20, Tartaglia & Co. Sold to the Cleveland Museum of Art, The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
  • Type: Ivory
  • Rights: CC0
  • External Link: https://clevelandart.org/art/1925.1293
  • Medium: ivory
  • Fun Fact: This ivory is also known as the <em>Stroganoff Ivory </em>because it was once in the collection of Sergei Grigoryevich Stroganoff, a Russian statesman and art historian.
  • Department: Medieval Art
  • Culture: Byzantium, Constantinople, Byzantine period
  • Credit Line: Gift of J. H. Wade
  • Collection: MED - Byzantine
  • Accession Number: 1925.1293
The Cleveland Museum of Art

Get the app

Explore museums and play with Art Transfer, Pocket Galleries, Art Selfie, and more

Home
Discover
Play
Nearby
Favorites