IB doing art

Double-Sided Ivory Liturgical Comb with Scenes of Henry II and Thomas Becket

Information and Context Knowledge from: https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/1988.279/ and, https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/ht/07/euwb.html#/Works-of-Art and, https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/466161

1:Identify artist, title, date, medium, and size
The item was made between 1200-1210 in Canterbury, England. The medium of the comb is ivory and is 8.6 x 8.6 x 1.2 cm. The credit of the piece in the MET Museum is the Rogers Fund and Schimmel Foundation Inc. who purchased the comb. Credit also goes to Mrs. Maxime L. Hermanos, Lila Acheson Wallace, Nathaniel Spear Jr., Mrs. Katherine S. Rorimer, William Kelly Simpson, Alastair B. Martine and Anonymous Gifts, 1988.

2: Stylistic period/culture/context
The comb was made in between 1200-1210 in England. This time period in the British culture art style was strongly influenced with Celtic art and society, then with the arrival of the Normans art and architecture produced in England reflected French influence. The art in the comb holds the history of Canterbury, England. Liturgical combs were used in preparing the priest for the Mass and this featured double-ended comb is the only comb known that is decorated with scenes from the life and martyrdom of Thomas Becket. Thomas Becket went on a journey to Canterbury Cathedral. This cathedral was one of a few of the majestic cathedrals that erected from the end of the eleventh century. The classicizing naturalism of the details on the comb are important features of the Gothic style of English art around 1200.

3: Subject/Iconography
The comb is decorated with scenes from the famous Thomas Becket. The comb is split with different stories on each side. One side represents Henry II informing Mr. Becket that he is to become the archbishop of Canterbury. Adjacent of this scene is the scene of a boat that will take Mr. Becket on his mission to England. Opposite of the boat is a church, an allusion to Canterbury Cathedral, that Thomas Becket goes too when in Canterbury. On the other side of the comb is a picture representing Thomas Becket in Canterbury Cathedral on December 29, 1170. On the one side of the comb it has a picture of an angel at the altar while the other side has a devil holding a book. In between the circles on either side holding the angel and the devil are knights and figures. The knights are on the right closer to the devil holding up swords to the victims and the victim figures are closer to the left by the angel. The pictures on the comb contain a historical event using traditional art themes such as an event containing figures. Lots of paintings that are traditional contain a historical event and this comb holds one just like it just on a comb.

4: Style/technique
The artist created the comb with big handles to hold. Each handle do not contain the big scene, they contain the little details of the Cathedral and boat and the angel and devil. These details are not essential to the event that happened. The event scenes are in between the comb pieces, where Henry II tells Becket that he is the future archbishop of Canterbury and then the knights fighting figures, including the Thomas Becket. By having the essential events on the main part of the comb means that it should be held with care and shown off and not covered by the hands of someone using the comb. The sides only hold the tiny extra detail along with a design. This also means that people usually do not pay attention to the extra details of the story and cover them up. Such as the way Thomas Becket got to the Cathedral. Also who was considered in the way of good, the knights or Thomas Becket? These are the details that do not get attention, they are easily handled without care or attention. By having two different scenes of an event on a double sided comb is ironic. There are two sides to the comb and by the picture one side was were used more than another. The ironic part is that some parts of a story are told more than another. The bad part could be told more often than the good. There are two parts to the life story of Thomas Becket and each part that was scene important is on the comb, one on one side and then the other on the other side. The color of the comb is classic. The color that was used for a lot and a lot of sculptures and material items during the time period. It helps resolve the idea that the story on the comb is classic, used a lot, and spread around and not held to just one person. The color and material is used everywhere and the story of Thomas Becket was spread throughout England.

5: Significance/function/purpose
The details of the angel and devil on the one side of the comb represent Thomas Becket went into the Canterbury Cathedral and there was good and evil. The good was contained to the church and Thomas Becket while the evil was within the king and his knights that followed. This conclusion can be made by the figures that are being attack are on the side of the angel while the knights that have their swords drawn on the figures are on the side with the devil holding the book. Reading back then was also known to people who were in the upper classes and had the power to know things that others may not have the knowledge to. This could be included in the assumption that these knights knew things about Thomas Becket that they did not like and needed to get revenge on him for. The purpose of this comb is to hold the story of Thomas Becket in a different way. If they made a painting of the story it would have been obvious on the view points. The view point the comb took place of was that the knights were evil, leading to the realization that the King they took orders from was evil too and killed good people like Thomas Becket. This probably went against normal thoughts of the people who looked up to the King and putting this view point in painting and more well known could lead to people disagreeing, sending hate their way, or the King becoming angry. This comb is one of a kind meaning that it was used for one person and was a viewpoint of one person who did not care to share his/her thoughts. The story on the comb is historical and holds a political view point based off of the thoughts on the King and knights.