Ivory Plaque with Enthroned Mother of God ("The Stroganoff Ivory") | Cleveland Museum of Art

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

950–1025

Byzantium, Constantinople, Byzantine period

Overall: 25.3 x 17.2 x 1.8 cm (9 15/16 x 6 3/4 x 11/16 in.)

Gift of J. H. Wade 1925.1293

Location: 105 Byzantine

You can copy, modify, and distribute this work, all without asking permission. Learn more about CMA's Open Access Initiative.

Did You Know?

This ivory is also known as the Stroganoff Ivory because it was once in the collection of Sergei Grigoryevich Stroganoff, a Russian statesman and art historian.

Description

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.

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

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

950–1025

Byzantium, Constantinople, Byzantine period

See Also

Visually Similar by AI

CMA Store

Small Sword Poster

Small Sword Poster

In the eighteenth century, the smallsword was designed to be a light, quick weapon. Like the rapier, it was carried by unarmored noblemen. As decorative works, smallswords represent the final stage in the evolution of the sword. This poster pictures one of many on display in the Cleveland Museum of Arts Armor Gallery. Size: 36" x 24"

Two Handed Sword Poster

Two Handed Sword Poster

The sword depicted in this poster is just one from a series marked with the crown monogram of Duke Julius of Brunswick-Lununeburg. Used by the Duke's bodyguards, each sword such as the one pictured is distinguished by the fish-shaped crossbar on the hilt and pierced, crutch-shaped pommels. By the late 1600s these enormous swords had a largely ceremonial use. Size: 36" x 13"

Half Armor for the Foot Tournament Poster

Half Armor for the Foot Tournament Poster

The armor shown in this poster was designed to be worn in a foot tournament, an event favored among Renaissance aristocracies throughout Europe Foot tournaments were commonly fought over a barrier that separated the combatants and gave protection to their legs. Thus half-armor was sufficient protection and would have been worn with colorful puffed britches. The red velvet pickadils between the steel plates, along with the ostrich feather plume of the helmet, and the wonderful etched designs in the armor, would have presented the wearer with great style and splendor for the games. This poster of a wonderful image of early renaissance craftsmanship makes a great gift for those enchanted by medieval history. Size: 36" x 24"

Africa and Byzantium

Africa and Byzantium

By Andrea Myers Achi Medieval art history has long emphasized the glories of the Byzantine Empire, but less known are the profound artistic contributions of Egypt, Nubia, Ethiopia, and other powerful African kingdoms whose pivotal interactions with Byzantium had an indelible impact on the Mediterranean world. Bringing together masterworks in a range of mediums and techniques—from mosaic, sculpture, pottery, and metalwork to luxury objects, panel paintings, and religious manuscripts—this publication recounts Africa’s centrality in far-flung transcontinental networks of trade and cultural exchange. With incisive scholarship and new photography of works rarely or never before seen in public, Africa and Byzantium sheds new light on the staggering artistic achievements of medieval Africa. This long-overdue publication reconsiders the continent’s contributions to the development of the premodern world and offers a more complete history of Africa as a vibrant, multiethnic society of diverse languages and faiths that played a key role in the artistic, economic, and cultural life of Byzantium and beyond. 352 pages, HardcoverPublished November 2023

Contact us

The information about this object, including provenance, may not be currently accurate. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email collectionsdata@clevelandart.org.

To request more information about this object, study images, or bibliography, contact the Ingalls Library Reference Desk.

All images and data available through Open Access can be downloaded for free. For images not available through Open Access, a detail image, or any image with a color bar, request a digital file from Image Services.