Section of a Roman diptych from the collection of the Vicomte de Genze

Photograph of a section of a Roman diptych carved from ivory at the beginning of the 6th century from the Collection of the Vicomte de Genze in Paris. It shows the bottom par of one leaf of a consular diptych, probably of Flavius Anastasius. In the upper part are two victorious race-horses in the circus games, with their heads decorated with feathers, being led by two Amazons.

In the lower part are a group of acrobats, three of whom, nearly naked, are supporting the head of a fourth, whose legs are up in the air with two children dangling from them and a third being held up to join them. To the left is another performer balancing three balls, one on his raised left knee, one on his forehead, one in his left hand, and about to catch a fourth in his right hand. To the right is a performer with a mask and a child.

This photo-mechanical print is one of the 24 Woodburytypes pasted into J. O. Westwood’s 1876 publication, ‘Fictile [casts of] Ivories in the South Kensington Museum’.

Tags: acrobats, Amazons, Anastasius, circus, diptych, Flavius, games, Paris, Roman, Vicomte de Genze