Casket
Assault on the castle of Love (lid);
episodes from chivalric literature (sides)
Paris, 1st quarter of the 14th century Elephant ivory, copper alloy (hinges)
This large casket is one of a very few of its kind, emblematic of the development of secular ivory works in the early 14th century. The main scene, on the lid, is an allegory of amorous conquest, probably inspired by the Roman de la Rose, a medieval poem.
The Cluny Museum National Museum of the Middle Ages (Musée de Cluny-Musée National du Moyen Âge) is one of the finest museums in Paris and home to one of the world’s largest collections of medieval art.