Italian, Northern Italy
Chancel Slab, 8th century - 9th century
Marble, 71.1 x 134.6 cm (28 x 53 in.)
This rectangular Italian marble chancel slab was designed to decorate the space around the altar of a church. The piece is long in the horizontal direction, and furthermore divided into three different horizontal strips. The first one, and the lowest, has a repeating carved vegetal pattern that contains a large leaf or flower at the center, with a semicircular arc on each side. The middle horizontal strip consists of a band of alternating tooth-like projections. The upper strip is plain.
Second Floor Stairhall And Stairway
Commentary
Isabella Stewart Gardner kept meticulous records of many of her acquisitions. In keeping with this legacy, object information is continually being reviewed, updated, and enriched in order to give greater access to the collection.