Gothic Ivories Project | Writing tablet, 1 register, 3 arches across (tablettes à écrire; frise d'arcatures; plaquette) (Front)

Courting couples (meeting of lovers); offering of the heart; lady piercing her lover's heart with an arrow; tree; tower.

Koechlin 1924: France, 2nd half of the 14th century (?).
Gaborit-Chopin 2003 and Museum's opinion 2010: France (Paris?), late 14th century.

Attribution
Unknown

Reverse
Labelled: 'no. 488'? (part missing).
Inscription in ink: 'Davillier 52'.
Recessed to receive the wax, with a raised border.

Object Condition
Small chips and crack to the edge.
Hole in central upper part to allow the leaves to be joined.

Comments
Koechlin (1924) wrote of the object: 'Mauvais travail; pièce suspecte'. Though Gaborit-Chopin (2003) describes the craftsmanship as 'banal and charmless', she does not dispute the object's authenticity.

Provenance
Collection of Baron Jean-Charles Davillier (no. 52); bequest of J.-C. Davillier, 1883.

Bibliography
L. Courajod, E. Molinier, Donation du baron Charles Davillier. Catalogue des objets exposés au musée du Louvre (Paris, 1885), no. 52.
E. Molinier, Musée National du Louvre. Catalogue des ivoires (Paris, 1896), no. 94.
R. Koechlin, Les Ivoires gothiques français (Paris, 1924), I, p. 441; II, no. 1208.
D. Gaborit-Chopin, Ivoires médiévaux, Ve-XVe siècle (Paris: Musée du Louvre, 2003), no. 213.

© Réunion des musées nationaux (RMN) - Jean-Gilles Berizzi.
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