The Ivory Bible — Old Testament Carvings from Medieval Amalfi
The Ivory Bible — Old Testament Carvings from Medieval Amalfi
Medieval Biblical narratives carved in ivory — an enigmatic masterwork from 11th century Southern Italy.
The Salerno Ivories are among the world's forgotten wonders. Carved in elephant ivory a thousand years ago, they form one of the most complete Biblical narrative cycles to survive from the medieval Mediterranean. Their origin remains mysterious—likely Amalfi, possibly elsewhere. Their artistic sophistication is undeniable. Yet they remain largely unknown, housed in a quiet museum on Italy's southern coast.
Published in FMR Magazine's as "The Greatest Story Ever Carved" — with photographs by Roberto Bigano.
The Mystery of Origin
No signatures. No inscriptions. No definitive attribution
The Salerno Ivories resist easy classification. Too Western to be purely Byzantine, too Eastern to be purely Romanesque, they likely emerged from Amalfi—the maritime republic that dominated Mediterranean trade before its decline. But certainty eludes scholars. The carved panels could have come from Salerno, Montecassino, even Norman Sicily.
What matters more than origin is achievement: a synthesis of artistic traditions that could only have emerged where Christian, Islamic, and Byzantine cultures converged in a cosmopolitan port.
All the plaques on this page: Old Testament Ivory Carving. Amalfi School, late 11th – early 12th century. Housed at Museo Diocesano San Matteo in Salerno.
Left: The Spirit of God creates the Waters and separates the light from the darkness.Genesis 1:2
Right: creation of the Angels. Cm 10,2x 22.The Old Testament doesn’t explicitly state when angels were created.
However, it’s generally understood that they were created before the earth, likely during the first day of creation when God made the heavens.
Left: Creation of vegetation and fruit trees. Genesis 1:11 / 1:12.
Right: Creation of the sun, the moon and the stars. Genesis 1:14 / 1:19. — Cm 10,2x 22
Left: Creation of Eve. Genesis 2:21 / 2:23.
Right: Temptation and Original Sin. Genesis 3:6 / 3:7 / 1:19. — Cm 10,2x 22.
Left: Expulsion from the Garden of Eden. Genesis 3:23.
Right: Men destined to live by cultivating the land 3:24. Genesis 3:24 — Cm 10,7x21,9.
Left: God commands Noah to build the Ark. Genesis 6:14 / 6:21
Right: Noah building the Ark. Genesis 6.22
Cm 10,1x21,9.
Left: God closes the door of the Ark. Genesis 7:13/ 7:16
Right: The Raven and the Dove. Genesis 8:6:8/17
Cm 9.9 x 22.2.
Left: Noah exits the Ark. Genesis 8:18
Right: Noah's sacrifice. Genesis 8:19
Cm 10,3 x 21.8.
Left: God Blesses Noah and His Descendants. Genesis 9:1 / 9:3.
Right: Noah the Winemaker. Genesis 9:20
Cm 10.6 x 24.1.
Roberto Bigano, the photographer, shares his story
A destiny written in the stars
I was reading a New York Times article from a series that shared fascinating stories about Italian lifestyle, food, scenic landscapes, and art. This chapter began with a bold statement: “Today is Friday, and we’ll visit the Collection of the Salerno Ivories. They are among the world’s wonders, yet few people know about them.”
I was surprised; I had never heard of this collection, which was unusual for me since I was quite familiar with the artistic scene of Naples and its surroundings, having often worked there.
Determined to learn more, I promised myself to delve deeper into this topic. However, I didn’t have much time to explore further. A couple of hours later, my colleague from Naples called me and said, “Hi Roberto, we need to photograph the ivories of Salerno.” It felt as if our destinies were written in the stars.
Left: The Drunkenness of Noah. Genesis 9:20 / 9:23.
Right: The Tower of Babel. Genesis 11:1 / 11:9.
Cm 10,5 x 24.
Left: God speaks to Abraham. Genesis 12:6 / 12:9.
Right: Pharaoh returns Sarah to Abraham. Genesis 12:14 / 12:20.
Cm 10,2x 24.2.
Left: God tells Abraham to leave Harran. Genesis 12:1 / 12:2
Right. Blessing of Abraham. Genesis 12:3 / 12:5.
Cm 10,3 x 24.1
Left: Sacrifice of Isaac. Genesis 22:9 / 22:14
Right. Blessing of Abraham. Genesis 22.15 / 22.18.
Cm 10,2x 24.2.
Left: Jacob's dream, also known as Jacob's Ladder. Genesis 28:10 / 28:17
Right: Moses and the burning bush. Genesis 1:14 / 1:19.
Cm 9,6x 24.1.
Left: Miracle of the rod turning into a serpent. Exodus 4:1 / 4:4
Right. Miracle of the leprous hand. Exodus 4:6 / 4:10
Cm 9.8x24
The Exhibition & The Publication
An Exhibition — A Book — Cover and 16 pages on FMR Magazine
These photographs were commissioned for The Medieval Ivories Enigma — From Amalfi to Sorrento, an exhibition examining Southern Italy's ivory carving tradition. A selection later appeared in FMR Magazine's 2024 Summer Solstice issue, in an article titled "The Greatest Story Ever Carved" by Francesca Dall'Acqua.
For Ikonographia, the project created a visual archive allowing these works to be studied and appreciated beyond the museum's walls—documentation that transforms obscurity into access.
Moses at Mount Sinai. Exodus 19:1 / 19:6
Cm 8.9x11.4
The Ivory Bible — NewTestament Carvings from Medieval Amalfi
The next episode will feature the entire collection of the New Testament series, which includes 27 plaques illustrating 51 scenes. These plaques were created a century later and boast more intricate designs, making them even more captivating than the Old Testament series.
A selection of images featuring Old and New Testament ivory carvings has been beautifully presented in the 2024 Summer Solstice edition of the iconic FMR Magazine.
The article, titled "The Greatest Story Ever Carved," is written by Francesca Dall'Acqua, with photographs by Roberto Bigano.
This issue is available in both English and Italian.
Copyright Links and Credits
Photography, Copyright & Credits
All photographs © Ikonographia / Roberto Bigano — All Rights Reserved. These images are part of the Ikonographia Visual Archives: — The Ivory Bible — Old and New Testament Carvings from Medieval Amalfi Archive
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Terms of Use (Summary)
The images presented in this archive are copyrighted and available for licensed use only through Ikonographia Visual Archives.
You may not download, reproduce, publish, or distribute these images without a valid license. For commercial or editorial licensing, please refer to the product pages or contact Ikonographia directly. A full explanation of licensing terms is available in the Shop / Licensing Information section under "Ikonographia — Standard License" and "Ikonographia — Merchandising & Product Use Licenses"
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Ikonographia Mission Statement
Ikonographia is committed to the accurate documentation, preservation, and ethical dissemination of twentieth-century visual culture.
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Archival Notes — The Ivory Bible — Old and New Testament Carvings from Medieval Amalfi
Medieval Biblical narratives carved in ivory — an enigmatic masterwork from 11th century Southern Italy. The Salerno Ivories are among the world's forgotten wonders. Carved in elephant ivory a thousand years ago, they form one of the most complete Biblical narrative cycles to survive from the medieval Mediterranean. Their origin remains mysterious—likely Amalfi, possibly elsewhere. Their artistic sophistication is undeniable. Yet they remain largely unknown, housed in a quiet museum on Italy's southern coast. Published in FMR Magazine's as "The Greatest Story Ever Carved" — with photographs by Roberto Bigano.
All images follow Ikonographia's internal archival standards for resolution, color accuracy, and metadata structure to ensure long-term consistency across the collection.
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Available Contents
- Old and New Testament Ivory Carvings Archive (11th–12th Century) — A curated archive combining licensable images with editorial content and historical research.
- The Ivory Bible — Old Testament Carvings from Medieval Amalfi — Medieval Biblical narratives carved in ivory — an enigmatic masterwork from 11th century Southern Italy.
- The Ivory Bible — New Testament Carvings from Medieval Amalfi — Coming soon
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Further Reading — Selected Sources
- The Greatest Story Ever Carved — FMR Magazine 2024 Summer Solstice — Photographs by Roberto Bigano — Essay by Francesca Dall'Acqua.
- L’enigma degli Avori medievali — By Ferdinando Bologna — Paparo Edizioni — The most complete existing documentation.
- Above All, Ravello— By Jane Shapiro — Requires subscription
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Explore the Old and New Testament Archive
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Old Testament Ivory Carving. God over the waters with night and day – Creation of Angels
€89.00 -
Old Testament. Creation of vegetation and fruit trees – Creation of the sun, the moon and the stars.
€89.00 -
Creation of Eve – Temptation and Original Sin. Old Testament Ivory Carving
€89.00 -
Expulsion from the Garden of Eden. Old Testament Ivory Carving
€89.00
