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Medieval Art
All artworks
Period
Ottonian
Date
ca. 962–968
Collection
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Object no.
467730

Plaque with Christ Receiving Magdeburg Cathedral from Emperor Otto I

Unknown Ottonian ivory carver, probably Milan, ca. 962–968

Ivory plaque with Christ enthroned before an openwork chequered ground, receiving a model church from a small figure of the emperor among saints

The Metropolitan Museum of Art · Gift of George Blumenthal, 1941 · Public domain

The record

Maker
Unknown Ottonian ivory carver, probably Milan
Date
ca. 962–968
Medium
Elephant ivory
Dimensions
13 × 11.3 × 0.8 cm
Period
Ottonian

Why it matters

Against an openwork chequered ground, Christ enthroned blesses a model church presented by Emperor Otto I, who is shown smaller than the saints around him; Peter holds his keys nearby. The plaque was destined for Otto’s church at Magdeburg, raised to an archbishopric in 968, and belongs to a series of ivories probably carved in Milan for its dedication. Their plain figures and emphatic gestures draw on both Carolingian and Byzantine traditions.

The Met collection record