English, Nottingham, mid-15th century

private collection, Switzerland, since the end of the 19th century

Overall the condition of the alabaster panels is good with dirt and some wear to the surface consistent with age. There is a layer of dirt to the alabasters throughout. This has rubbed away at some of the high points revealing the cream alabaster underneath particularly in the panel with the Annunciation. There are a few minor losses to the carvings, notably to the hands and feet of Christ and the kneeling angel's proper right arm in the relief with the Trinity, and to the arms of the Cross. The fingers of Christ's proper right hand in the Resurrection relief are lost and have been replaced using composite material, the bottom of Christ's staff is also lost. There is a chip to the thumb of God the Father's proper left hand and His little finger has been replaced using composite material. There are a few minor chips around the edges of the panels. Traces of polychromy and gilding are visible in several areas, in particular, in the Trinity relief and the Annunciation relief. The top right corner of the relief with the Arrest of Christ has been reattached, and the top left corner of the Resurrection panel has been reattached. There is a small loss to the reclining figure's nose in the Arrest scene. There is some greenish residues in particular to the Trinity relief, including to the wings of the angels and below the right angel's censor. There is wear to some of the high points in the Arrest scene, including to the stick of the soldier on the upper left side. It is possible that the top of the helmet of the soldier in the background of the resurrection scene is reattached. There are some chips and abrasions to the edges of the reliefs. The later wood frame is in good condition with some dirt and wear consistent with age. There is evidence of past worming in several areas including the dental molding at the top and the sections flanking the relief at the top.There is some stable splitting to the wood consistent with the material including slightly open but stable splits to the bottoms of the sections flanking the top relief. There are a few light abrasions at the edges and corners.
"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."

It is only the fifth time since 1978 that an ensemble of medieval Nottingham alabaster reliefs appears at an international auction. For the present season to add two series of reliefs (see Treasures, lot 2, for the other example), each in excellent condition and from private collections, to the small corpus of Nottingham altarpieces is therefore a unique occurrence. The four panels with the Annunciation, the Betrayal, the Resurrection, and the Trinity are not only particularly large, but also rank among the best of the key pieces from the second half of the 15^th century in terms of the quality of the carving, which is probably best illustrated by the spectacular symmetrical drapery of God the Father of the Trinity relief that crowns this altar piece.

The proliferation of Nottingham alabaster reliefs across churches, museums, and private collections across the globe today illustrates the might of the quarries near Derby, west of Nottingham in medieval Europe. Where Limoges had monopolised and standardised its champlevé enamelled copper liturgical works of art and Saxony long dictated the production of bronze vessels, England dominated the market for carved stone altarpieces in Europe for most of the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. It capitalised on the softness of the alabaster which made it easy to carve swiftly, used standard designs for the reliefs even though no two panels are the same, and produced the objects in a format that made them easy to transport along the trade routes. At least eight complete altarpieces made their way to Iceland in this manner, as well as Cartagena in southern Spain, Palma de Mallorca and the island of Korcula off the coast of Croatia to name but a few. Much of the alabaster workshops’ prowess has been lost on us as many of the altarpieces were destroyed or damaged while wars and the Reformation raged in Europe. Today, even England itself only possesses the two complete Nottingham altarpieces in the Nottingham Castle Museum and the Victoria and Albert Museum. The latter ensemble, known as the Swansea altarpiece, consists of scenes from the Life of the Virgin flanking a larger Trinity and is among the few carvings which compare to the quality and state of preservation of the reliefs that make up the present lot. Both altarpieces contain a relief of the Annunciation based on a woodcut or illumination that is the basis for all 15^th-century renditions of the scene from Nottingham. Both reliefs show elaborate undercutting of the banderol around the lily, as well as the hands and canopy and the crispness with which the folds are arranged. While the drapery around the Virgin’s stomach on the Swansea altarpiece is more accomplished, the drapery suspended from the proper right is more beautifully carved here. Compared to most Annunciation reliefs illustrated by Cheetham the composition and relative size of the figures is better balanced in the present relief, underlining the artistic talents of the carver (Cheetham 2003, op.cit., Life of the Virgin, figs. 19-36).

Whilst the reliefs are presented as a complete altarpiece, they are not in their original setting. The few altarpieces that survive in their original frame consist of reliefs mounted in a horizontal line, reading from left to right. Most would have at least a fifth narrative relief. Even though it does mark the start of the Life of Christ in other media, the Annunciation usually only features in Nottingham alabaster altarpieces with scenes from the Life of the Virgin. It is therefore possible that two altarpieces were combined.

RELATED LITERATURE
C.F. Pitman, ‘Reflections on Nottingham alabaster carving’, Connoisseur, May 1954, pp. 217-228; F. Cheetham, English medieval alabasters. With a catalogue of the Victoria and Albert Museum, Oxford, 1984; F. Cheetham, Alabaster images of medieval England, Woodbridge, 2003