Book cover — The Healing of the Blind Man and The Healing of the Leper, Lorraine, ca. 870-880
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
ca. 870-880
Book cover in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London (museum number 255-1867), made in Lorraine, dated ca. 870-880. The museum's brief description reads: Book cover, ivory, The Healing of the Blind Man and the Healing of the Leper, Carolingian, France, Lorraine (Metz), ca.
870-880. Museum description: In the lower scene of the panel Christ is accompanied by two apostles and touches with his thumb the eyes of the blind man, who is guided forward by three helpers. Above, Christ, with four disciples following, heals the leper, the latter's left arm and both legs covered with raised sores. The scenes are enclosed with foliate border, itself contained inside a plain frame. The background to the plaque is extremely thin and affected by a number of vertical cracks.
There are pin-holes in the corners for fixing the plaque to a separate backing. The museum records it as Elephant ivory carved in high relief, measuring Height 8.2 cm; Width 5.8 cm; Depth 0.7 cm; Weight 0.02 kg. These details come from the museum's own record; how far this object represents a wider collectible type has not yet been independently verified.
Evidence at a glance
- Linked sources
- 1
- Photograph views
- 1
- Catalogue references
- 0
Counts describe this entry’s documentation, not authenticity, rarity or completeness. Photographs may show one specimen; check each caption and licence.
Historical context
Melzak convincingly connected the plaques with the Later Metz ivory panels of the border of the 'Cathedra Petri' in Rome and dated them to 870-80. Iconographically the scenes of the healing of the leper and the healing of the blind man may be compared with those on the contemporary plaques in Berlin and Würzburg and products in Metz.
Physical characteristics
- Material
- ivory
- Dimensions
- Height 8.2 cm; Width 5.8 cm; Depth 0.7 cm; Weight 0.02 kg
Technical characteristics
- Technique
- Elephant ivory carved in high relief
- Place recorded
- Lorraine
Identification
- Museum object name
- Book cover
- Museum object number
- 255-1867
- Museum system number
- O88286
Catalogue references
No catalogue numbers recorded. Numbers are only published once transcribed from a verified edition of a standard catalogue — they are never inferred.
Research required
- Research required: confirm the wider type, maker and catalogue references against a specialist reference.