Ivory plaques depicting the Rape of Proserpina and Narcissus at the Source, France, 15th century

France, 15th century

Rape of Proserpina – Narcissus at the Source

(2) Ivory, 3,5 x 4,5 cm

The rare pair of ivory reliefs examined depicts two scenes taken from the world of mythology. The first focuses on the Rape of Proserpina by Pluto. The god of the Underworld, falling in love with her at first sight upon seeing her picking flowers in a meadow, is caught in the moment when, having stepped down from the chariot that guided him from Hades to Earth, with an outstretched arm, he tries to grab Proserpina who runs away defenseless.

The second scene represents the myth of Narcissus. After rejecting Eco's love, following a divine punishment, he fell in love with his own image of him reflected in a body of water, later dying in the abyss in which he was reflected. Set in a space well characterized by arboreal elements, the scene sees the protagonist portrayed leaning against a water source, accompanied by the presence of a pair of dogs and a character in the background.

The profane and mythological theme is rarer than the religious one in the processing of this precious and particular material. In the case in question we can see an excellent elaboration, characterized by valid technical expertise, clearly evident for example in the marked lines that underline the drapery of the clothes or the faces of the characters, as well as in the spatial details that embellish the scenes.

An intense activity linked to Ivory art was achieved in Italy around the 14th century thanks to Baldassarre di Simone d'Aliotto (known as degli Embriachi), famous, for example, for the triptych preserved at the Certosa di Pavia. In France, and especially in the localities of Dieppe and Saint Claude, the apogee came in the 15th century, distinguishing itself for artistic quality, finesse and cleanliness of the lines, rarity and preciousness of the support material, which was applied to caskets and objects of small dimensions, such as cameos, plaques and medals.

The work is accompanied by a Cites Community Certificate

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