This exhibition catalogue contains essays on Gothic ivories by seven leading international scholars. Organized chronologically, the catalogue details nearly 100 of the most important examples of Gothic ivory carving from collections in Europe and the US. The publication is designed to convey to the reader the major changes that occurred in art and society during the Gothic period and the rise of ivory carving for both religious and secular purposes. It tells the story of the development of this art form; the people who carved, commissioned and made use of ivories in the Middle Ages; and the impact historical developments had on the growth and eventual demise of this art form.
Author Biography
Peter Barnet is Associate Curator of European Sculpture and Decorative Arts at the Detroit Institute of Arts. He is the coauthor of Decorative Arts 1900: Highlights from Private Collections in Detroit, and author of Clothed in Majesty: European Ecclesiastical Textiles from the Detroit Institute of Arts.
