St Mark writes the Gospel

Date: 11th century

Place of Production: Cologne, Germany

Description: This ivory would originally have been one of four, each representing one of the four evangelists, and together they probably decorated a gospel book. Mark appears here alongside his traditional symbol, the lion. The scroll reads ‘vox clamantis’, an abbreviated version of one of the opening lines of Mark’s gospel: ‘I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness’ (Mark 1:3). The church depicted in the miniature is probably Cologne, where the ivory was produced.

Held at: Metropolitan Museum of New York

Accession Number: 17.190.36

Images in public domain

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