A French Ivory Panel from a Casket, First Half 14th Century

with a scene from the Arthurian legend depicting Gawain on the magic bed sleeping in his armour with spears raining down on him from above,  the paw of a lion emblazoned on his shield, the border with nail holes, some with later plugs.

Repaired vertical crack along far left side. Few hairline cracks, some losses and cracks around old nail holes. Several small holes filled with metal pins. Loss to point of one sword above his shield. Staining around border and on reverse.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

RELATED LITERATURE

P. Barnet (ed.), Images In Ivory (exh.cat.), The Detroit Institute of Art and the Walters Art Gallery, 1997, no. 64

More than six complete composite ivory boxes and approximately twelve more fragments exist featuring scenes from the Romances. The present panel would have been incorporated into a large casket including ten or eleven stories from the Arthurian romances, the most popular subject used during the second quarter of the 14th century.

A full casket belonging to The Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore (op. cit., p. 247) includes a back panel (the third of four back panels) with the same subject as the present lot, although with a much abbreviated composition. That relief is surrounded by three others depicting further scenes from the life of Gawain and Lancelot.

Gawain was King Arthur's most faithful lieutenant as well as his nephew. He featured prominently as the hero in more episodic romances than any other British knight.