Northern France
Around 1325–50
Carved ivory
56 x 4 x 98 mm
Carved into the back of this thin panel is a shallow recess to hold a layer of wax. Notes were written into the wax with a sharp instrument called a stylus and could then be wiped away and reused. On the front is the scene of Christ’s Nativity. It recurs with slight variations on many medieval ivories, for example, on the beautiful Passion diptych on the other side of this case.