Artifact No. 4185 & 4186

Found by IOTA on June 6, 2000.
Location: North 2/West 28, in the Northeast corner of Trench/South.
Dated: Late XVI century.

Description: Notes from Beatriz Sanchez Navarro de Pintado, president of the Vice-Royalty Museum of Mexico and author of "Religious Ivory from the Orient in Mexico" (Mexico, 1985).

"...First of all, I want to tell you that your recovery of these two "traveling triptychs" are marvelous, the San Jeronimo (Saint Jerome) and the Virgen del Rosario (Virgin of Rosary). On the Saint Jerome, we can se the hermit saint, represented like a penitent and in the two panels that closes the triptych, you would probably see, once they are cleaned, images of protector saints. The triptych of the Virgin of Rosary is very rare. I have only seen this type of composition in ivory plaque of Portuguese origin of the XVI Century. Yours is definitive Chinese origin because, among other characteristics, you can see the fine carving of a Chinese artistic hands and the way they mark the edges of the plaques with three well incisions that run throughout the frame..."

IOTA diver Steve McAllister uncovering Triptychs.

Steve McAllister (left) and Duane Dauphinee (right).

Archaeologist Roger Dooley putting Triptychs away.

Mauro Alverez cleaning artifact.

Triptych Virgin of Rosary

Triptych Saint Jerome

Since 02 Aug 2001