Christ in Majesty and Apostles
Can I see it?
Not on view at present
Where is “Christ in Majesty and Apostles” now? Collection: Victoria and Albert Museum, London. Not on view at present. Checked September 25, 2026.
London, United Kingdom
It belongs to the collection, but is not on display at present.
- Checked
- In this state since
- Source
- The museum
About the sculpture
The apostles on the present plaque seem to be inspired by those on the central west doorway at Saint-Denis, of about 1140, and the overall composition is probably modelled on the central doorway of the 'Royal Portal' of Chartres Cathedral, of 1145-50.
The maker of these plaques was revealed to be Francisco Pallás y Puig of Valencia (1859-1926), an extraordinarily gifted and versatile ivory carver who produced works not only in the Romanesque style, but also in Late Gothic and Cordovan manner.
In the years around 1907, a number of ivory plaques in the Romanesque and Early Gothic style appeared on the Paris art market.
Read on
Three of these plaques which appeared on the Paris art market, including the present plaque, showed Christ in Majesty with the four Evangelist symbols, and one illustrated St Peter and another apostle twisting to confront one another (this reappeared on the London art market in 2002). All of these plaques were loosely based on 12th century prototypes but do not copy them.
Victoria and Albert Museum
Details
- Accession number
- A.87-1956
What it shows
In the catalog
Sources
- Victoria and Albert Museum
- Image: Victoria and Albert Museum — © Victoria and Albert Museum, London
