Bringing the Holy Land Home: The Crusades, Chertsey Abbey, and the Reconstruction of a Medieval Masterpiece

When was this made?

Ivory was re-introduced to southern Europe by the Muslims in the 10th century. Objects made from ivory began to be produced in Spanish and Italian workshops and exchanged throughout the 11th, 12th, and 13th centuries. Due to Italy's close proximity to Africa, it was easy to transport this material from its place of origin. Elephant ivory was imported from Africa making it an expensive commodity available as a deluxe material to wealthy clients. It is believed that this pen box was created between the 11th and 12th centuries, and purchased by the Mansone family, a ducal power throughout the Byzantine Empire.  

A ducal power, meaning it was related to dukes or dukedom, was considered one of the highest statuses within the Mediterranean powers in the 11th century. The name Mansone is a common occupational name for a person in the Middle Ages being derived from the Italian word Manzo, meaning steer (cattle). During the Middle Ages, Italian society was primarily based on agriculture and accordingly agricultural occupations were quite frequently shown in the development of these surnames. Manso I (Italian: Mansone) was the duke of Amalfi (966–1004) and prince of Salerno (981–983). He was the son of Duke Sergius I and the greatest independent ruler of Amalfi, which he controlled for nearly half a century. He is sometimes numbered Manso III. This box belonged to the son of Manso III, Taurus (Latin word for bull).  These family names associated with cattle and agriculture were reflected in this pen box, depicting a variety of animals to further emphasize the family name. 

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