Canne (Puglia) Handle from a piece of furniture Second quarter of the 12th century

    This small carved ivory piece was discovered during the excavation of a settlement; in the lower part it has holes probably used to fasten it onto the lid of a chest or the door of an item of furniture. One side has the figure of a man trying to extricate himself from the jaws of a monster, the symbol of Sin; on the other side is the head of a bearded man, opposite the monster's head. While the theme of the devouring monster is very close to Anglo-Norman subjects in ivory or bronze, the bearded man's head is related to the Romanesque carving of Apulia. It has not been possible to say exactly where the piece comes from.

Dimensions of the object
3 cm x 5,6 cm x 2,5 cm

Bibliography
- I Normanni, popolo d'Europa, Roma, Venezia, 1994, a cura di Mario d'Onofio,  n°324.

Location
Bari, Museo archeologico

Photography : DR