Carved ivory panel

The saints can be identified by their symbolism: St John the Baptist and St John the Evangelist in the left arch, St Paul and St Peter in the centre, and St Christopher and St James in the right arch. Ongoing research suggests it is of Flemish or English origin, carved around 1320-40.

When the Cheney family bought the panel in the 1950s, it was mounted and framed. Since the arrival of the bequest at Norwich Castle Museum the frame has been removed, and the panel has been cleaned and conserved. An ivory backing sheet that was not original has been removed to reveal the fine open-pierced carving. The narrower upper border suggests that it may be a cut-down section of a larger work that possibly formed part of a diptych. Traces of gilding remain on the figures and arcade.

The ivory panel is currently on display in Norwich Castle Museum’s new Gallery of Medieval Life, which opened last summer as part of the £27.5m redevelopment of the 12th-century keep. The museum is keen to express how public collections are enhanced by gifts such as this, and how it can ensure conditions for their conservation and care, as well as scholarly research around their origins and purpose.