IVORY CARVINGS 39 



of the betrayal of Christ by Judas in the Garden of Gethsem- 

 ane, the middle field, the denial of Peter, while the lower 

 field depicts the Crucifixion. Here the bodies of the crucified 

 thieves are entirely undraped, a unique treatment in these 

 representations; moreover, they are nailed to natural trees, 

 the cross-pieces being the limbs of the trees.* 



Of the so-called Metz School of Carolingian carving a 

 characteristic specimen may be seen in the Kaiser Frederich 

 Museum in Berlin. This is a diptych, each leaf measuring 

 11.3 centimeters (4 J in.) in height, and having a width of 

 8.2 centimeters (3 J in.). There are on each leaf six designs 

 without dividing lines, comprising the Annunciation, the 

 Vision of the Shepherds, the Nativity, the Adoration of the 

 Magi, Christ in the Temple, the Baptism of Christ, the Entry 

 into Jerusalem, the Washing of Feet, Christ in the Prsetorium, 

 the Crucifixion, the Women at the Tomb, the Ascension. 

 In the crucifixion scene are shown, at the left of the cross, 

 Mary and Longinus, at the right, Stephanon and St. John, 

 above the cross are weeping personifications of the sun and 

 the moon.f It has been noted that in the work of this type 

 the Christ figure is often disproportionately large as com- 

 pared with the accompanying figures. 



During the reign of the orthodox emperor Michael Rhan- 

 gabe (811-813 A. D.), when the iconoclastic movement in 

 the Eastern Empire was temporarily checked, Charlemagne 

 sent Halitcharius, Bishop of Cambrai, as envoy to Constan- 

 tinople, and on his return thence the bishop brought back 

 with him, among the gifts from the Greek emperor, sculp- 

 tured ivory tablets. These were used to form ornamental 

 covers for liturgical works. A few years later, in 845 A. D., 



*Wilhelm Lange, "Die Darstellungen der Kreuzigung Christi in der niederrheinischen 

 Elfenbeinschnitzerei des XI und XII Jahrhunderts." Thesis. Erlangen, 1912, pp. 20 

 sqq, Bib. Nat. Codex latinus 9388. 



tibid, pp. 31 sqq. ' 



