Some 9th to 13th century ivory carvings from the Museo Civico Medievale in Bologna

On Saturday Lena and I went to the medeival museum, which was just around the corner from where I stayed. I don't know what I expected, but not this absolute awesomeness. So many things: a pair of chopines, beautiful 16th century glassware, cool stone carvings, gorgeous illuminated manuscripts, and some fun curiosa too.

In this post I will show you some of the carved ivory objects from the Middle Ages. Some of them are well known and have been reproduced in books on medieval craft, but not all.

Ivories can be good sources to clothing, even if they're monochrome, because the three-dimensional quality makes it possibel to see folds and wrinkles better. Especially for, say the 11th and 12th cnetury, that is improtant, because otherwise one could mistake the lines at wrists and ankles for stripes, insted of folds, or scrunched up fabric.

Byzantine ivory box 9th-12th century:

10th century

12th century:

13th century: