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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and Albert Museum (Fig. 15), or moreoften little squares containing a single figure(Bargello, etc.). The borders show strong orientalinfluence, and invariably consist of ringed rosettesconnected by a pointed leaf; these rosettes some-times alternate with coin-like medallions, and thereare occasionally additional bands of varying pat-tern, as on the Volterra casket (late Spitzer Col-lection) at the Musee de Cluny. The subjects are a proof of the still lingeringpower of classical antiquity, and of the infiltra-tion of oriental designs. They are either takenfrom ancient myths (often very imperfectly un-derstood by the adaptor), or from scenes in thehippodrome or circus (Vcltei^ra); perhaps alsofrom the statues, part of the Grecian loot thatConstantine had brought from Rome to decoratehis new city. Most of these caskets are composed in thegayest frame of mind ; on the beautiful ivoryF^r^/e casket the little loves, on the light fantastictoe, dance to the harping of poor, melancholy, old 76
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IVORY WORKERS Polyphemus, who is compelled to cease his solitarylament and play hornpipes and jigs for the benefitof wild Bacchantes, who whirl round and roundtill their drapery is tossed out like foam. It isamusing to see these same ladies on the casketat Cividale, no longer carved with delicate finish,but angular and rough, the drapery flying out likewire, and the development of the muscles rivallingthat of a prima ballerina. The maker of the Pirano casket in the ViennaMuseum imitated the Veroli in many things, asthe putti and the panther, and the group of Marscaressing Venus under the chin, in the good old-fashioned Brescia diptych way, also the peculiartreatment of the hair in tiny knobby ringlets,which is found again on the Bologna casket, andon two most interesting plaques in the BritishMuseum. One plaque r^^v^s^nt^ Chrisi freeingthe Souls in Hades, and the other The Nativity,On the first there is a group of little child-soulswith polished round muscles and knobby hair,also the

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