Detail View: The AMICA Library: Mirror Back with Falconing Party
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AMICA ID:
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MMA_.41.100.160
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AMICA Library Year:
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2000
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Object Type:
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Decorative Arts and Utilitarian Objects
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Creator Nationality:
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European; French
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Creator Name-CRT:
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French
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Title:
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Mirror Back with Falconing Party
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View:
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Full View
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Creation Date:
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1350-1375
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Creation Start Date:
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1350
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Creation End Date:
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1375
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Materials and Techniques:
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Elephant ivory
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Classification Term:
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Ivories
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Dimensions:
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H. 4 5/16 in. (11 cm), Diam. 4 3/8 in. (11.1 cm)
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AMICA Contributor:
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The Metropolitan Museum of Art
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Owner Location:
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New York, New York, USA
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ID Number:
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41.100.160
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Credit Line:
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Gift of George Blumenthal, 1941
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Rights:
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Context:
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Ivory mirror cases were usually carved in pairs to protect a polished metal disk within, which was opened by means of a bayonette mechanism. Often mentioned in inventories and wills, few pairs survive and none with its protective leather case. As forerunners of the modern compact, they were destined primarily for aristocratic owners. Carved in Paris in the middle of the fourteenth century, this example depicts men and ladies in a forest as they hunt with falcons. The link between the sport of falconry and courtly love was a frequent subject in medieval literature, so the playful imagery on the mirror back can also be read as a hunt for love. |
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Related Image Identifier Link:
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MMA_.md41.100.160.R.tif
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