This ivory figure of St Margaret shows her miraculous deliverance from the belly of the dragon that had swallowed her. The miracle occurs when, in her plight, Margaret prays to the cross. St Margaret was one of the most popular Virgin Saints of the later Middle Ages. Her ordeal became associated with the pain of childbirth, thus she has become the patron saint of women in labour.
Firstly, the proportion the ivory carver has portrayed the action as one continuous moment. Barely has the dragon swallowed Margaret ,part of her gown hangs from the open jaws of the beast than she bursts forth.Analysis has revealed the original polychromy beneath two later layers.The largest coloured surfaces tended to be the linings of robes.Blue was used to distinguish the eyes and red for the lips.
Second,for the materials used in sculpture are diverse, changing throughout history. The classic materials, with outstanding durability, are metal, especially bronze, stone and pottery, with wood, bone and antler less durable but cheaper options. Precious materials such as gold,silver, jade, and ivory are often used for small luxury work.
Lastly, for the balance St. Margaret in prison was swallowed whole by a dragon part of her dress hangs from its mouth. Various descriptions of her method of escape are given, but here the virgin martyr emerges unscathed from the back of the dragon-devil, constant in her faith.This partly gilded and pigmented ivory carving portrays St Margaret,swallowed by Satan in the form of a dragon, but in prayer bursting free from the dragon. Her escape made her the patron saint of midwives and women in labour.
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