French, Paris, circa 1330-1340

with a label numbered: 1310 in ink to the underside

Maurice Sigismund Sulzbach, Paris or Château du Chesnay, Le Chesnay, circa 1924;
Nouveau Drouot Paris, 23 November 1984

R. Koechlin, Les ivoires gothiques français, Paris, 1924, vol. I, p. 235, n. 3 and p. 239 and vol. II, p. 239, no. 639, pl. CVIII

Overall the condition of the ivory is good. There is some wear and dirt to the surface consistent with age and handling including overall losses to the polychromy. The surface has minor hairline splitting conssitent with material. There are several chips and losses including around the edges of the base and the proper left foot, the edges of the drapery near her proper right elbow and the crown. There are four stains in the shape of arched windows to the reverse of the throne. The underside has incisions and a drilled hole for mounting.
"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. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

In his standard work on French Gothic ivories, Koechlin (op.cit. vol. I, p. 239) hails the present statuette as one of the most successful representations of ivory groups of the Virgin and Child of the 14th century. He notes the traditional almond-shaped eyes and small mouths of the figures as well as the Christ Child's tender gesture of reaching up to his Mother's collar. Koechlin is particularly laudatory of the Virgin's exceptional mantle. As with most French Gothic seated Virgins, it is open along the front, showing a dress and a narrow belt around the waist. Rather than revealing the entire torso, however, the carver carefully placed the mantle over the Virgin's arms. The passages of drapery that were hereby created under the Virgin's proper right arm and along Her proper right side are of superlative quality, prompting Koechlin to describe the artist as an "ingeneous taylor".

Stylistically, the seated position of the Virgin and the relatively low position of the Child are unlike most other Parisian statuettes. The aforementioned idiosyncratic facial types, execution of the hair, belt, feet, reverse of the veil and throne, however, can be seen in certain examples of a small group of ivory Virgins discussed by Williamson (op.cit.). Note also the similarities with a Virgin and Child from the Dormeuil Collection (Sotheby's Paris, 19 November 2007, lot 22).

The former owner of the statuette, Maurice Sulzbach, was born in Frankfurt am Main in 1853 as the son of a wealthy banker. He moved to Paris in 1882 and married Marguerite Ida Premsel with whom he amassed an eclectic collection of important works of art. Their taste ranged from French Gothic to Chinese to Impressionist works of art. A number of important ivory diptychs from the Sulzbach collection were sold by Arnold Seligmann in 1926 and donated to the Detroit Institute of Arts in 1942 (inv. nos. 40.165, 42.135, 138 and 139).

RELATED LITERATURE
R. Koechlin, Les ivoires gothiques français, Paris, 1924, vol. I, pp. 234-240, vol. II, p. 36, no. 68, pp. 116-117, no. 265 bis, p. 377, no. 1027 and p. 394, no. 1088; P. Williamson, Medieval sculpture and works of art, cat. The Thyssen-Bornemisza Collection, London, 1987, pp. 118-121, no. 22;  R. H. Randall, The golden age of ivory. Gothic ivory carvings in North American collections, New York, 1993, p. 67, no. 57, pp. 72-73, no. 68 and p. 137, no. 209.