The Cleveland Museum of Art
Collection Online as of May 10, 2024
Portable Altar
c. 1200–1220
Overall: 13.1 x 26.9 x 16.9 cm (5 3/16 x 10 9/16 x 6 5/8 in.)
Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund 1927.29.a
Location: 106C Medieval Treasury
Description
The principal decoration of this portable altar is carved of walrus ivory. On the long sides are traditional figures of standing apostles. On the short sides are the seated Virgin with the Magi, and Christ the Judge between the symbols of the Evangelists. The commercial ties between the Rhineland and the Norse peninsula made walrus ivory easily available to the city of Cologne, one of the most important artistic centers in medieval Germany.- Sir Francis Cook, Windsor; (R. Stora, Paris); (R. Durlacher Brothers, New York).
- The Cleveland Museum of Art. Handbook of the Cleveland Museum of Art. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1928. Reproduced: p. 15 archive.org
- {{cite web|title=Portable Altar|url=false|author=|year=c. 1200–1220|access-date=10 May 2024|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}
Source URL:
https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1927.29.a