Book cover — Five plaques from the front cover of the Lorsch Gospels, Aachen, ca. 810

Book cover in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London (museum number 138:1 to 6-1866), made in Aachen, dated ca. 810. The museum's brief description reads: Five plaques from the front cover of the Lorsch Gospels, carved elephant ivory, Aachen, ca.

810. Museum description: The book cover consists of five plaques. At the top, two angels hold a medallion containing the bust of Christ. In the central section the Virgin and Child is shown between St John the Baptist on the left and the prophet Zacharias on the right. The plaque at the bottom shows the Nativity and the Annunciation to the Shepherds. The plaques are in generally good condition. The central panel of the Virgin and Child has two deep cracks running vertically at top (to the left of the Virgin's head) and bottom (to the left of her footstool), and restorations in ivory have been set into the canopy above the Virgin's head and at the centre of the lower border, extending on to the footstool.

Presumably contemporary with these restorations, a small section of ivory has been inserted into the lower part of the medallion surrounding Christ above, taking in part of his drapery and the inner beaded border. The museum records it as carved elephant ivory, measuring Height 37 cm; Width 26.3 cm. These details come from the museum's own record; how far this object represents a wider collectible type has not yet been independently verified.