Triptych with Stories from the Life of Christ

The studio was originally set up by the Florentine Baldassare Ubriachi (or “degli Embriachi”) who was specialised in the production of bone and ivory objects and who, in 1370-1380, worked with the sculptor Giovanni di Jacopo. The success of their artefacts also spread to the French market, which had had a virtual monopoly on the production of ivory works throughout the fourteenth century. The studio later moved from Florence to Venice, where this exquisitely crafted triptych was made. In terms of its size, this work lies between a portable altarpiece and a large-format retablo. The narrative is arranged in three sections, divided into eleven scenes (from The Baptism to The Crucifixion) framed by delicate fretwork archlets.