Statuette of the Virgin and Child

Northern France

Around 1325–50

Carved ivory

19 x 40 x 145 mm

This statuette was probably made for a church tabernacle, where holy bread and wine are stored. Signs of wear on the heads of the Virgin Mary and the infant Christ suggest it was later used for personal devotion and frequently handled after it became detached from its original setting.

Mark Gambier-Parry bequest, 1966

Photo Ⓒ The Courtauld