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Ivory Horn (Olifant)

12th century

Not on view

According to both Christian and Muslim accounts, the bodies of the biblical patriarchs at Hebron were discovered beneath their monuments in June 1119. Since then, they have ranked among the most celebrated relics of the Holy Land. Here, an elephant tusk has been used to hold relics of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. With them were relics of Abraham’s wife, Sarah, and remnants of the Last Supper. For Christians worshipping in the Cathedral of Angers, the ivory tusk and the lion hunt depicted on it signaled the relics’ links to the Holy Land.

Ivory Horn (Olifant), Elephant Ivory — This image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.

Title: Ivory Horn (Olifant)

Date: 12th century

Geography: Made in Eastern Mediterranean or Sicily

Medium: Elephant Ivory

Dimensions: 23 5/8 × 5 3/8 in. (60 × 13.7 cm)

Classification: Ivories

Credit Line: Musées d'Angers, Anger (MA 1R 99-69)

The Met

Medieval Art and The Cloisters at The Met

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.