South German, 17th century

There is an area of repaired cracks running down the centre of the relief. There are some chips to the left side of the relief and some cracks to the bottom left corner. See photograph.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

The story of Diana and Actaeon, narrated by Ovid in the Metamorphoses (III, 138-252), was a most popular subject during the Renaissance and Baroque ages. It allowed for rich  representations of female nudity, while at the same time denying the beholder's visual pleasures by recalling the example of the hunter Actaeon, who was transformed into a stag (and sagittated to death) by the goddess Diana for spying on her bathing nymphs. The present ivory may well have been derived from an engraving. The coiffures of Diana (seen on the extreme left holding a greyhound's lead and the fatal arrow) and her followers point towards a late 17th or 18th-century date.