DOI Heft:
No. 2
DOI Artikel:Rodziewicz, Elżbieta; Muzeum Narodowe w Warszawie [Mitarb.]: Late antique ivory and bone plaquettes in the National Museum in Warsaw
DOI Seite / Zitierlink: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.17161#0044
are numerous examples of rectangular caskets with trapezoidal covers decorated with ivory
appliąues well known in Mediaeval and Renaissance art. The shape of the jewel caskets of this
type originates most probably from Egypt. This shape was popular in Egyptian architecture
from the earliest dynasties on. It is to be found in the shape of mastaba, as well as in pylons
of temples, and especially in late sarcophagi. This shape is known also in late antiąue porphyry
sarcophagi made in Alexandria, as for instance the sarcophagus of Saint Helen and Saint Con-
stance5.
Another interesting bone relief, from an Alexandrian workshop of the fourth century in our
Museum represents two women, one of them following the other one. Probably, they should be
interpreted as Maenads6 (fig. 2). Bone plaquettes representing Dionysus' retinue were very
common in Alexandrian art of the first centuries of our era7. They were related to the well known
Greek sculptures and reliefs. But it is not possible to find a close analogy for the plaąuette in
ąuestion. Most of the preserved bone plaąuettes represent but one figurę, some of them very
similar to these on our plaąuette, where however two Maenads are represented. It is possible
that Alexandrian craftsmen decorated valuable pieces of furniture with such bone plaąuettes
composing in this way a continuous figural frieze. On most such plaąuettes there is but one
figurę, on the one in ąuestion there are two figures. They belong most probably to a larger my tho-
logical scenę.
The third plaąuette, in a halfcircular form is an example of Alexandrian engraved and poly-
chromed ivories8 (fig. 3). It represents theatrical masks, a comic and a tragic one, separated by
a plant9. Similar AIexandrian works represent mostly birds among Nile vegetation, sometimes
human busts or heads surrounded by floral ornament. I have never seen, however, any plaąuette
with a representation analogous to ours though theatrical masks very similar to the masks
on our plaąuette, are often to be found on Alexandrian tesserae of the third and fourth centuries,
as well as on bone discs of a size similar to our plaąuette10. On Alexandrian bone plaąuettes of
the fourth century polychromed borders appear similar to the one along the upper edge of the
Warsaw plaąuette11. A smali opening for a pług in the upper edge of the plaąuette testifies that
it was an appliąue.
There is one more bone plaąuette in the National Museum in Warsaw, this one dating from
the tenth-eleventh centuries12. It seems to be uncomplete, and its surface is badly damaged.
It was excavated in 1963 — 64 in the Cathedral at Faras (north Nubia, VIII—XII cent.) disco-
vered by the Polish Archaeological Mission directed by Professor Kazimierz Michałowski13.
The shape of this plaąuette is very irregular. On its both faces outlines of men's heads are painted
in black. On one side the head is rather fuli, with a Iow forehead, big eyes, long nose and sticking
out ears (fig. 4). Ali around it, there are undistinct traces of an inscription or brush lines. On the
reyerse side of this plaąuette there is another head, longer, also with a Iow forehead, big eyes
and a long nose (fig. 5). This head reminds of the ascetic figures of saints by its expression, but
5. K. Michałowski, „Zum Sarkophag aus S. Costanza", Romische Miltcilungcn, 43, 1928 p. 136.
6. Inv.: 198324, 0.075 m. high, 0.049 m. wide.
7. J. Strzygowski, „Hcllenistische und Koptisehe Kunst in Alexandria", Bulletin de 'a Societe Arehćologiąue aV Alexandrie,
Vienne, 1902 tav. I/II. J. Strzygowski, CCC, Koptisehe Kunst, Wien, 1904, tav. XV; O. Wulff, Altchristliche und mittel-
alterliche byzanlinischc und italienische Bildwerkc, Berlin, 1909, tav. XIV—XVIII; R. Pagenstecher, Expedition Ernst
von Sicglin, II, 3, Die Griechisch-Agyptische Sammlung Ernst von Sieglin, Leipzig, 1913 tav. LV; E. Breccia, Alexandrea
ad Aegyptum, Bergamo, 1914, p. 292.
8. Inv.: 147070; 0.055 m. high, 0.108 m. wide.
9. Cf. note No 7. See also in Victoria and Albert Museum, Inv.; 1897, and British Museum, Greek and Roman Department,
Inv.: 665-75.
10. R. Kanzler, Cli Avori dei musei profana e sacro delia biblioteea Valieana, Roma, 1903 tav. XV,7,9 and tav. IV fig.2.
11. CR. Morey. G/r Oggetti di Avorio e di osso del Museo Sacro Valicano, Roma 1936, tav. VI, A 57.
12. Inv.: 234639; 0.065 m. high, 0.035 m. wide.
13. K. Michałowski, Faras — Fouilles Polonaises, I, Warszawa, 1962; II, Warszawa, 1965.
34
appliąues well known in Mediaeval and Renaissance art. The shape of the jewel caskets of this
type originates most probably from Egypt. This shape was popular in Egyptian architecture
from the earliest dynasties on. It is to be found in the shape of mastaba, as well as in pylons
of temples, and especially in late sarcophagi. This shape is known also in late antiąue porphyry
sarcophagi made in Alexandria, as for instance the sarcophagus of Saint Helen and Saint Con-
stance5.
Another interesting bone relief, from an Alexandrian workshop of the fourth century in our
Museum represents two women, one of them following the other one. Probably, they should be
interpreted as Maenads6 (fig. 2). Bone plaquettes representing Dionysus' retinue were very
common in Alexandrian art of the first centuries of our era7. They were related to the well known
Greek sculptures and reliefs. But it is not possible to find a close analogy for the plaąuette in
ąuestion. Most of the preserved bone plaąuettes represent but one figurę, some of them very
similar to these on our plaąuette, where however two Maenads are represented. It is possible
that Alexandrian craftsmen decorated valuable pieces of furniture with such bone plaąuettes
composing in this way a continuous figural frieze. On most such plaąuettes there is but one
figurę, on the one in ąuestion there are two figures. They belong most probably to a larger my tho-
logical scenę.
The third plaąuette, in a halfcircular form is an example of Alexandrian engraved and poly-
chromed ivories8 (fig. 3). It represents theatrical masks, a comic and a tragic one, separated by
a plant9. Similar AIexandrian works represent mostly birds among Nile vegetation, sometimes
human busts or heads surrounded by floral ornament. I have never seen, however, any plaąuette
with a representation analogous to ours though theatrical masks very similar to the masks
on our plaąuette, are often to be found on Alexandrian tesserae of the third and fourth centuries,
as well as on bone discs of a size similar to our plaąuette10. On Alexandrian bone plaąuettes of
the fourth century polychromed borders appear similar to the one along the upper edge of the
Warsaw plaąuette11. A smali opening for a pług in the upper edge of the plaąuette testifies that
it was an appliąue.
There is one more bone plaąuette in the National Museum in Warsaw, this one dating from
the tenth-eleventh centuries12. It seems to be uncomplete, and its surface is badly damaged.
It was excavated in 1963 — 64 in the Cathedral at Faras (north Nubia, VIII—XII cent.) disco-
vered by the Polish Archaeological Mission directed by Professor Kazimierz Michałowski13.
The shape of this plaąuette is very irregular. On its both faces outlines of men's heads are painted
in black. On one side the head is rather fuli, with a Iow forehead, big eyes, long nose and sticking
out ears (fig. 4). Ali around it, there are undistinct traces of an inscription or brush lines. On the
reyerse side of this plaąuette there is another head, longer, also with a Iow forehead, big eyes
and a long nose (fig. 5). This head reminds of the ascetic figures of saints by its expression, but
5. K. Michałowski, „Zum Sarkophag aus S. Costanza", Romische Miltcilungcn, 43, 1928 p. 136.
6. Inv.: 198324, 0.075 m. high, 0.049 m. wide.
7. J. Strzygowski, „Hcllenistische und Koptisehe Kunst in Alexandria", Bulletin de 'a Societe Arehćologiąue aV Alexandrie,
Vienne, 1902 tav. I/II. J. Strzygowski, CCC, Koptisehe Kunst, Wien, 1904, tav. XV; O. Wulff, Altchristliche und mittel-
alterliche byzanlinischc und italienische Bildwerkc, Berlin, 1909, tav. XIV—XVIII; R. Pagenstecher, Expedition Ernst
von Sicglin, II, 3, Die Griechisch-Agyptische Sammlung Ernst von Sieglin, Leipzig, 1913 tav. LV; E. Breccia, Alexandrea
ad Aegyptum, Bergamo, 1914, p. 292.
8. Inv.: 147070; 0.055 m. high, 0.108 m. wide.
9. Cf. note No 7. See also in Victoria and Albert Museum, Inv.; 1897, and British Museum, Greek and Roman Department,
Inv.: 665-75.
10. R. Kanzler, Cli Avori dei musei profana e sacro delia biblioteea Valieana, Roma, 1903 tav. XV,7,9 and tav. IV fig.2.
11. CR. Morey. G/r Oggetti di Avorio e di osso del Museo Sacro Valicano, Roma 1936, tav. VI, A 57.
12. Inv.: 234639; 0.065 m. high, 0.035 m. wide.
13. K. Michałowski, Faras — Fouilles Polonaises, I, Warszawa, 1962; II, Warszawa, 1965.
34