A Carved Ivory Head from San Vincenzo Al Volturno
John Mitchell
A small ivory head of a tonsured man, expertly carved in relief, was found 1991 during excavations at the great eighth-eleventh century Lombard monastery San Vincenzo al Volturno. The excavated with other fragments ivory, antler and bone, vicinity collective workshop monastery, doubtless this workshop. head-type is variant on an early Byzantine formula which employed Rome by sixth subsequently, eighth century, adopted artists working for noble patrons northern Italy. painters responsible decorating churches claustral buildings first half ninth also used type, details its carving new seems to show direct influence painted heads ninth-century date from walls monastery. relief probably intended embellishment casket or cover book. head, besides being significant addition tiny corpus surviving carvings medieval Italy, shows craftsmen monastery's had their disposal material both rare prestigious period.
Journal of the British Archaeological Association