Folding Devotional Shrine with Scenes from Christ's Passion

ca. 1350
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 306
Some private devotional objects were intended to encourage meditation on the events of the Passion in great detail, cultivating a feeling of personal presence. Narrative carvings may have aided in such intense visualization. This particular choice of scenes is striking in its attention to Pontius Pilate, its depiction of both the raising of the cross and Jesus nailed to the cross, and its inclusion of the rare episode of the stripping and buffeting of Christ.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Folding Devotional Shrine with Scenes from Christ's Passion
  • Date: ca. 1350
  • Geography: Made in Rhineland, France or Germany
  • Culture: French or German
  • Medium: Elephant Ivory, with modern paint, gilding, and metal mounts
  • Dimensions: Overall (open): 9 7/16 x 12 11/16 x 3/8 in. (23.9 x 32.2 x 1 cm)
    Overall (closed): 9 7/16 x 3 1/8 x 1 5/8 in. (23.9 x 8 x 4.2 cm)
  • Classification: Ivories-Elephant
  • Credit Line: Gift of J. Pierpont Morgan, 1917
  • Object Number: 17.190.205
  • Curatorial Department: Medieval Art and The Cloisters

Audio

Cover Image for 3140. Polyptych with Scenes from Christ's Passion

3140. Polyptych with Scenes from Christ's Passion

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