Ivory Plaque with the Crucifixion

Art Historical Context

This delicate ivory plaque, carved around 1000 AD during the Ottonian period, captures the poignant Crucifixion scene central to Christian devotion. Christ is depicted on the cross, flanked by the Virgin Mary and saints, figures rendered in high relief with expressive faces and flowing drapery. Measuring just 1⅝ × 1⅛ inches, its petite scale suggests it once adorned a portable devotional object, such as a book cover, diptych, or reliquary—common in medieval ecclesiastical art. Ottonian art, named for the Holy Roman Emperors Otto I, II, and III, marked a renaissance in northern Europe, blendin...