Saint Anthony abbot with tau-headed staff and bell; pig; saint Francis of Assisi.
Inscriptions: 'S. A[N]TO[N]I' and 'S. FRA[N]CISCUS'.
Westwood 1876: Italy(?), 15th century.
Dalton 1909: Italy, late 14th century.
Egbert, 1929: North Italy (Venice).
Museum's opinion 2011: Italy, late 14th century.
Attribution
Unknown
Hinges
Traces of two missing hinges on the left side.
Polychromy - Gilding
Extensive traces of gilding: names in background, drapery, hair, and architecture.Saint Anthony's mantle is inscribed with a 'T'.
Reverse
Smooth. Chamfered along the outer side of the wing. Ink inscription: 'W. M' (for William Maskell). Label with inscription: '£6'.
Object Condition
Two pierced holes in the upper part of the panel.
Provenance
Collection of William Maskell (b. 1814, d. 1890): bought from him by the Museum in 1856.
Bibliography
J. O. Westwood, Fictile Ivories in the South Kensington Museum (London, 1876), no. 502 (`73.191).
O. M. Dalton, Catalogue of the Ivory Carvings of the Christian Era in the British Museum (London, 1909), no. 395.
D. D. Egbert, 'North Italian Gothic Ivories in the Museo Cristiano of the Vatican Library', in Art Studies 7 (1929), pp. 168-207 [p. 169, fig. 2].
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