Wernher Triptych
| Wernher Triptych | |
|---|---|
 Wernher Triptych | |
| Material | Ivory |
| Size | 18.4cm by 16.8cm |
| Created | 900-1000 AD |
| Present location | British Museum, London |
| Registration | 1978,0502.10 |
The Wernher Triptych is an ivory Byzantine triptych carved in Constantinople between 900 and 1000 AD.
History
[edit]The triptych became part of the British Museum's collection in 1978, in lieu of taxes following the death of Sir Harold Wernher, son of the financier Sir Julius Wernher.[1] The open market value of the nine ivory pieces acquired was estimated at £700,000 in 1976 upon their acquisition (equivalent to £4,716,920 in 2025).[2]
Description
[edit]In the central panel stands the Virgin Hodegetria; on the side leaves are carved an angel and two saints framed in medallions; on the left Saint Nicholas and Theodore the Martyr, on the right Saint John Chrysostom and Saint George.
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ↑ triptych / religious/ritual equipment, British Museum Collection, retrieved 10 December 2013
- ↑ Norman, Geraldine (5 November 1977). "Wernher ivories bought for nation". The Times. No. 60153. p. 3.
Further reading
[edit]- Evans, Helen C. & Wixom, William D., The glory of Byzantium: art and culture of the Middle Byzantine era, A.D. 843-1261, no. 80, 1997, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, ISBN 9780810965072; full text available online from The Metropolitan Museum of Art Libraries