St. George and the Dragon thumbnail 1
St. George and the Dragon thumbnail 2
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Image of Gallery in South Kensington
On display at V&A South Kensington
Sculpture, Room 111, The Gilbert Bayes Gallery

St. George and the Dragon

Relief
1460-1500 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Mother-of-pearl, jet coral and amber were selected by craftsmen for their beauty, durability and rarity. These materials often occurred in a particular geographical region. Coral for example was prevalent in Sicily and amber along the Baltic coast. Many of the religious items were portable, as were the small portraits. They were often made locally and then taken elsewhere. Pilgrims from all over Europe bought the jet images made in Santiago de Compostela.


Object details

Categories
Object type
TitleSt. George and the Dragon (generic title)
Materials and techniques
Mother-of-pearl, in gilt mount
Brief description
St George and the dragon, mother of pearl medallion, South German, late 15th century
Physical description
St. George's horse is proceeding to the left, trampling upon the dragon, the Saint leans forward, his head bare, and brandishes a colossal sword in his right hand. The relief is convex, the work nearly in the round, the background has been cut away in the centre leaving a ring of shell.
Dimensions
  • Excluding wooden frame diameter: 4cm
Credit line
Given by Mr T. Whitcombe Green
Subjects depicted
Summary
Mother-of-pearl, jet coral and amber were selected by craftsmen for their beauty, durability and rarity. These materials often occurred in a particular geographical region. Coral for example was prevalent in Sicily and amber along the Baltic coast. Many of the religious items were portable, as were the small portraits. They were often made locally and then taken elsewhere. Pilgrims from all over Europe bought the jet images made in Santiago de Compostela.
Bibliographic references
  • Cf. Bange, E. F. ed. Staatliche Museen zu Berlin. Die Bildwerke des Deutschen Museums. Zweitter Band. Die Bildwerke in Bronze und in Anderen Metallen. Berlin and Leipzig, 1923. no. 1522.
  • Königliche Museen zu Berlin. Beschreibung der Bildwerke der christlichen Epochen. 4. Die deutschen Bildwerke und die der anderen cisalpinen Länder. Berlin : Reimer, 1910. no. 938.
Collection
Accession number
A.67-1929

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Record createdJanuary 9, 2004
Record URL
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