Attribution
Unknown

Polychromy - Gilding
Extensive traces of gilding.

Reverse
Carved on both sides.

Object Condition
The volute has cracked in half vertically and been repaired.
Thin slivers of bone have been used to fill the narrow gaps at the bottom between the two sections. Larger piece at the top of the volute to hide the joint.
Lighter-coloured restorations in bone of significant areas of the leaves and foliate shoots.
Crook of the bishop's crozier restored.

Comments
The crozier head is made of two pieces of ivory joined diagonally across the volute (bone pegs and animal glue have probably been used to attach them).
The identification of the bishop as saint Thorlak of Iceland (d. 1193) put forward by Guðmundsson in 1990 is not supported by Williamson (Williamson and Davies 2014).

Provenance
Possibly belonged to Vinald Henriksson, archibishop of Trondheim (1387-1402) (Andersen 1997). According to Lt.-Col. F. J. B. Wingfield-Digby, DSO, it was brought to England from Ireland in the 17th century and to have belonged to Right Reverend Essex Digby, Bishop of Dromore (d. 1683) or to his son Simon Digby, Bishop of Elphin (d. 1720). Collection of the Wingfield-Digby family, Sherborne castle, Dorset since at least the 17th century; on loan to the museum since 1930; accepted by H. M. Government in lieu of inheritance tax (estate of S. Wingfield-Digby) and allocated to the museum in 2002.

Bibliography
Den Norske Kirkeprovins 1153-1953, exhibition catalogue, Trondheim, Erkebispegården, 1953, no. 29, p. 89.
K. Berg, 'Digby-staven. Norsk benskurd fra middelalderen?', in Kunst og Kultur, XL (1957), pp. 217-230.
Norge 872-1972, Middelalderkunst fra Norge i andre land / Norwegian Medieval Art Abroad, exhibition catalogue, Oslo, Universitetets Oldsaksamling, no. 20.
G. J. Guðmundsson, 'Digbybagallinn, Íslensk listamíđ í Victoríu- og Albertssafninu', in Ný Saga IV (1990), pp. 21-27.
H. A. Andersen, Kunsthåndverket i Middelalderen fra Trondheims skattkamme (Trondheim, 1997), pp. 52-56, figs. 36-37.
Acceptance in Lieu Report 2000-2002,The Council for Museums, Archives and Libraries, London, 2002, pp. 36-37.
P. Williamson, 'Recent Acquisitions (2000-2006) of sculpture at the Victoria and Albert Museum, London', in The Burlington Magazine CXLVIII (December 2006), p. 888, fig. V.
P. Williamson and G. Davies, Medieval Ivory Carvings 1200-1550 (London, 2014), no. 153.