Gothic Ivories Project | Gabled polyptych (tabernacle) (Front)

Height: 395-398mm; 350mm (Virgin only)
Width: 365mm (open)
Depth: 11-17mm (each wing); 60mm (Virgin)

Wings, left
Register 1: angel swinging a censer. Angel holding two crowns.
Register 2: Annunciation; dove of the Holy Spirit; vase of lilies. Visitation; hand of God.
Register 3: Adoring Magi (part of the Adoration of the Magi); attendants with horses and whip. Centre panel Standing Virgin and Child.
Wings, right
Register 1: missing; angel swinging a censer.
Register 2: Nativity; hanging lamp; curtain. Annunciation to the Shepherds.
Register 3: Presentation in the Temple; angel crowning the Virgin; Joseph holding a basket of doves brought as offerings; maid holding a candlestick; Simeon; hanging lamp.
Trefoils in the spandrels.

Dehaisnes 1886: Flemish, 14th century.
Nicolle 1894: France, 14th century and 13th century (Virgin only).
Dehaisnes 1897: Italian, 14th century.
Koechlin 1924: France, mid 14th century.
Guide 1957: Italy, 14th century.
Museum's opinion 2011: Italy or France (?), mid 14th century.

Attribution
Unknown

Hinges
Two sets of missing hinges on either side.

Polychromy - Gilding
Extensive traces of gilding and polychromy (modern): red, blue, gold, pink, etc.

Reverse
The panels have been pasted onto wood. Virgin carved in the round (back also painted). Ozenfant label: 'collection A. Ozenfant 231 inv.'.

Object Condition
Broken around some of the hinges.
Missing: gable of the inner wing to the right (only the right side remains); upper part of the gable of the two outer wings; architectural canopy enclosing the Virgin and Child (replaced later with a wooden tabernacle); left arm of Christ; right arm of Christ (modern); left foot of the Virgin.
Vertical cracks (Virgin): the Virgin split and was glued back together. Two holes in the base which have caused major cracks.

Comments
The modern wooden tabernacle has now been removed and the canopy has been lost.

Provenance
Collection of Auguste Ozenfant (no. 1213): given by him to the Museum in 1894.

Bibliography
Exposition de Lille, exhibition catalogue, Lille, 1874, no. 618.
E. van Drival, 'L'Exposition de Lille', in Revue de l'art chrétien (1874), I, pl. VII.
A. Darcel, 'L'Exposition de Lille', in Gazette des Beaux-Arts, I (1875), p. 88.
E. van Drival, Étude sur les objets d'art religieux réunis à Lille en 1874 (Lille and Arras, 1877), pl. II.
J. J. van Ysendyck, Documents classés de l'art dans les Pays-Bas du Xème au XVIIIème siècle... (Antwerp, 1880-1889), Letter P, pl. 43.
C. Dehaisnes, Histoire de l'art dans la Flandre, l'Artois et le Hainaut avant le XVe siècle (Lille, 1886), I, p. 187, pl. VI.
M. Nicolle, Catalogue des Objets d'art et de curiosité composant la Donation Ozenfant (Lille, 1894), no. 1.
C. Dehaisnes, Le Nord monumental et artistique (Lille, 1897), p. 21.
R. Koechlin, Les Ivoires gothiques français (Paris, 1924), I, pp. 125-127; II, no. 150; III, pl. XXXVIII.
Exposition d'art ancien, exhibition catalogue, Lille, Palais des Beaux-Arts, November-December 1947, no. 19.
Musée de Lille : Guide de la Section des Objets d'art (Paris, 1957), p. 12.

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