Искусства и ремесла Средневековья

Carving in Wood and Ivory

291

ceeding on all fours, with unbent knees, right up the shaгp edge of the Ыаdе ! Aшong small Ьох shrines which soon cleveloped in Christian tiшes from the Consular diptychs is one, in tl1e iпvent01·y of Roger de Mortimer, " а lyttle long Ьох of уvогу, ,vith ан ymage of Our ladye therein closed." The differences in expression between French, Eng­ lish, and German ivory carvings is qнite inteгesting. The French faces and figures have always а piquancy of action: the nose is а little ret1·oussee and the eyelids long. The Geгman shows more solidity of person, less transitoriness and ligЬtness аЬонt the figure, and the поsе is Ыunter. The English carvings are often spirited, so as to Ье a]most grotesque in their stгenuousness, and the tool-mark is' visiЫe, giving ruggedness and interest. Nothing could Ье more exquisite tl1a11 the Gothic shrines in ivory made iп the thirteenth centшy, but descriptions, unless accompanied Ьу illustrations, could give little idea of their individual cЬarm, for the subject is usually the same: tl1e Vi1·gin авd child, in the central portion of the triptycl1, while sceпes fгom the Passion occupy the spaces on either side, iв the wings. Statuettes in the round \Vere гаге iв early Christian times: one of the Good Shepherd in the Basilewski collection is almost tшique, but pyxes iв cylindrical form were made, the sculptшe on tЬem being in relief. In small ivory statuettes it was necessa1·y to follow the natural curve of the tusk in carving the figure, hence