Gothic Ivories Project | Polyptych with ivory reliefs, 1 and 2 registers (tabernacle; appliqués); also known as Madonna di Monteguaitano and Madonna delle Grazie (Front)

Bone;wood (later architectural framework);gold, turquoise, enamels and quartz (?) (later crowns).

Wings, left
Register 1: Annunciation (Virgin missing). Visitation.
Register 2: Adoring Magi (part of the Adoration of the Magi continued on the centre panel).
Centre panel
Seated Virgin and Child; Christ standing on the Virgin's left knee; Christ in long robe; Christ holding a fruit in his left hand.
Wings, right
Register 1: Nativity; Virgin holding Christ.
Register 2: Presentation in the Temple; Virgin holding Christ.

Williamson 1994: Italian, 1st half of the 14th century.
Torriti 2000: French, 14th century.

Attribution
Unknown

Hinges
Two sets of two ring hinges on either side.

Polychromy - Gilding
Traces of gilding and polychromy: blue (beards and hair; cloak of archangel Gabriel), red (cloaks and veils), gold (Christ's hair in the centre panel).

Reverse
Not visible. Gilded wooden case.

Object Condition
Missing: Virgin in the Annunciation scene; one of the Magi. Christ's bust was glued back into place. The Virgin's head and shoulders are a later replacement defined by a straight V-line. Part of the base of the Virgin and Child is a modern restoration.

Provenance
Possibly from the former Monastero delle Convertite in Siena, then moved to the church of San Pellegrino alla Sapienza (Torriti 2000).

Bibliography
P. Williamson, 'Avori italiani e avori francesi', in Il Gotico europeo in Italia (Naples, 1994), pp. 293-298, fig. 5.
P. Torriti, Tutta Siena contrada per contrada (Florence, 2000), p. 269.

All images on this website are made available exclusively for scholarly and educational purposes and may not be used commercially.