Evangelist Saint Mark writing the Gospel with his symbol, the Lion, holding a scroll

Art Historical Context

This exquisite 11th-century ivory from Germany captures Evangelist Saint Mark his desk, diligently writing his Gospel, accompanied by his traditional symbol: a majestic lion clutching a scroll. The intimate scale—measuring just 5½ x 4¼ inches—invites close contemplation, revealing the saint's focused expression and flowing robes rendered with remarkable precision on such a delicate medium. Crafted during the height of the Ottonian Renaissance in medieval Europe, this plaque exemplifies the era's devotion to the four Evangelists, whose symbols adorned liturgical books, altars, and personal reliquaries. Ivory, prized for its creamy luster and workability, was a luxury material often sourced from elephant tusks via trade routes, symbolizing piety and prestige in monastic workshops. German ivories like this one highlight early Romanesque tendencies toward narrative clarity and symbolic depth, blending Carolingian heritage with emerging expressive forms. Today, housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Medieval Art department as a gift from J. Pierpont Morgan in 1917, it offers a window into how faith was visualized in everyday devotion—portable, tactile, and profoundly spiritual. Imagine a monk or noble carrying this tiny treasure as a touchstone of scripture.