Relief Fragment

On the left of this ivory sculpture, a lion sinks his teeth into the hindquarters of a stag whose head appears at the upper left-hand corner. Farther to the right, a hound bites the back of a reclining goat, which, seemingly unperturbed, munches calmly on a spikey leaf. The medieval carver adapted these animal forms to the rhythms of the undulating vine, inventively adjusting the popular animal interlace pattern to the narrow width of the relief’s border. Ivory, valued for its creamy color and exotic nature, was a favorite material for creating opulent objects in the 13th century. While it is not known what this fine carving originally adorned, it may have embellished a piece of furniture or a musical instrument.