Panel from a Casket with Scenes from Courtly Romances

The Cleveland Museum of Art catalogs Panel from a Casket with Scenes from Courtly Romances as ivory (France, Lorraine?, Gothic period, 14th century · c. 1330–50 or later).

WHY IT’S INTERESTING

Two knights in mail surcoats and helms joust here with blunted lances "for courtesy," a version of the joust known as the Joust of Peace.

SERENDIPITYA little unexpected

FamiliarWeird

A CLOSER LOOK

The museum identifies this ivory as ivory.

The museum's collection notes: Among the most lavish and deluxe products of French ivory workshops of the 1300s were large caskets carved with elaborate scenes drawn from courtly romances. The panel shown here comes from such a casket. The largest panel (here) once formed the lid and depicts a tournament, the most splendid and romantic of knightly activities. Just to the right is a favorite allegory of chivalric love: knights assaulting the castle of love. These images suggesting chivalry, fertility, virginity, youth, and an idealized courtly love likely derive from manuscripts including the Roman de la Rose and the poems of Chrétien de Troyes. Such texts were often found

FOLLOW THE EVIDENCE

The Cleveland Museum of ArtPanel from a Casket with Scenes from Courtly Romances

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