This ivory plaque probably once served as part of a decorative cover for a liturgical manuscript. Three holy women intent on anointing the body of Jesus approach his burial place, the Holy Sepulchre, seen here as a twostory cylindrical building. A man "robed in white," and endowed here with wings, informs them that Jesus has risen from the dead. The Roman soldiers are asleep at their posts, completely unaware of the miracle of the Resurrection that has taken place.
Due to rights restrictions, this image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.
Open Access
As part of the Met's Open Access policy, you can freely copy, modify and distribute this image, even for commercial purposes.
API
Public domain data for this object can also be accessed using the Met's Open Access API.
This artwork is meant to be viewed from right to left. Scroll left to view more.
Artwork Details
Use your arrow keys to navigate the tabs below, and your tab key to choose an item
Title:Plaque with the Holy Women at the Sepulchre
Date:early 10th century
Geography:Made in Milan (?), Italy
Culture:North Italian
Medium:Elephant ivory
Dimensions:Overall: 7 1/2 x 4 1/4 x 5/16 in. (19 x 10.8 x 0.8 cm)
Classification:Ivories-Elephant
Credit Line:Purchase, The Cloisters Collection and Lila Acheson Wallace Gift, 1993
Accession Number:1993.19
Victor Martin Le Roy, Neuilly-sur-Seine ; Jean-Joseph Marquet de Vasselot, Paris ; [ Alain Moatti, Paris (sold 1993)]
New York. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. "Mirror of the Medieval World," March 9–June 1, 1999.
New York. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. "The Philippe de Montebello Years: Curators Celebrate Three Decades of Acquisitions," October 24, 2008–February 1, 2009.
Koechlin, Raymond. Catalogue Raisonné de la Collection Martin le Roy: Volume 2, Ivoires et Sculptures. Paris: Imprimerie Durand, 1906. no. 9, pl. VI.
Goldschmidt, Adolph. Die Elfenbeinskulpturen aus der Zeit der Karolingischen und Sächsischen Kaiser, VIII.-XI. Jahrhundert. Vol. 1. Berlin: Bruno Cassirer, 1914. no. 148, p. 72, pl. LXIII.
Metropolitan Museum of Art. "Recent Acquisitions: A Selection, 1992-1993." The Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin, n.s., 51, no. 2 (Fall 1993). pp. 24–25.
Metropolitan Museum of Art. "One Hundred Twenty-Third Annual Report of the Trustees for the Fiscal Year July 1, 1992, through June 30, 1993." Annual Report of the Trustees of the Metropolitan Museum of Art 123 (1993). p. 33.
Gazette des Beaux-Arts. "La Chronique des Arts: A propos d'un Musée d'atmosphère." Gazette des Beaux-Arts, 6th ser., 123 (1994). p. 46, fig. 201.
Wixom, William D., ed. Mirror of the Medieval World. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1999. no. 70, pp. 57–58.
Barnet, Peter, and Nancy Y. Wu. The Cloisters: Medieval Art and Architecture. New York and New Haven: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2005. no. 4, pp. 27, 193.
Evans, Helen C., ed. The Philippe de Montebello Years: Curators Celebrate Three Decades of Acquisitions – Online Catalogue. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2008.
Barnet, Peter. "Medieval Europe." In Philippe de Montebello and The Metropolitan Museum of Art: 1977–2008, edited by James R. Houghton. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2009. pp. 23–24.
Barnet, Peter, and Nancy Y. Wu. The Cloisters: Medieval Art and Architecture. 75th Anniversary ed. New York and New Haven: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2012. p. 25.
Teteriatnikov, Natalia. "When Art Depicts Ritual: The Salerno Plaque with the Women at the Tomb." In The Salerno Ivories: Objects, Histories, Contexts, edited by Francesca Dell’Acqua, Anthony Cutler, Herbert L. Kessler, Avinoam Shalem, and Dr. Gerhard Wolf. Berlin: Gebr. Mann Verlag, 2016. p. 170, fig. 6.
The Met's Libraries and Research Centers provide unparalleled resources for research and welcome an international community of students and scholars.
The Met Collection API is where all makers, creators, researchers, and dreamers can connect to the most up-to-date data and public domain images for The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.
Feedback
We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.
The Museum's collection of medieval and Byzantine art is among the most comprehensive in the world, encompassing the art of the Mediterranean and Europe from the fall of Rome to the beginning of the Renaissance.
