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Inkpot Madonna

The Inkpot Madonna is a late Gothic wooden sculpture of the Virgin Mary, created around 1430 by a sculptor from Lower Saxony, probably in Lower Saxony. Painted in color and life-sized, it shows the delicate features and flowing drapery of the Soft or Beautiful style. Mary wears a blue, gold-trimmed mantle over a white undergarment and a high golden crown with five fleur-de-lis. The naked Christ Child sits on her left arm, holding a writing feather over a scroll, while Mary offers him an inkwell. Originally in the chapter house of Hildesheim Cathedral, it is now the most important image of the Virgin in the Mariendom.

Inkpot Madonna statue of a crowned woman holding a child, with an inkpot and quill, mounted on a decorative bracket.
The Inkpot Madonna, showing the crowned Madonna with Child holding an inkpot and quill on a wall-mounted bracket.
July 2020 © · CC BY-SA 4.0
Inkpot Madonna, a colorful statue of the Virgin Mary holding the Christ Child, with an inkpot in her hand.
The Inkpot Madonna statue shows the Virgin Mary with the Christ Child, crowned and richly painted, mounted on a decorated pedestal.
June 2019 © · CC BY 4.0
Inkpot Madonna statue of a crowned woman in blue and gold robes holding a child and an inkpot-like vessel.
Inkpot Madonna, showing a crowned woman in blue and gold robes holding a child and a dark vessel.
July 2020 © · CC BY-SA 4.0
Inkpot Madonna statue of a crowned woman holding a child in blue and gold robes inside a cathedral
The Inkpot Madonna statue stands on a pedestal inside St. Mary\'s Cathedral in Hildesheim.
June 2007 © · Public domain
Inkpot Madonna showing a crowned woman in blue robes holding a child, who grips a small dark rounded object.
The Inkpot Madonna depicts a crowned woman in blue robes holding a child.
June 2007 © · CC BY-SA 4.0

Identification

TitleInkpot Madonna
TypeLate Gothic wooden statue
SubjectMadonna and Child
Alternative namesTintenfassmadonna; Madona del tintero; Virgen del tintero; Madonna del Calamaio

Historical context

Datecirca 1430
StyleInternational Gothic; Soft Style / Beautiful Style

Creator

CreatorAn unidentified Lower Saxon sculptor

Discovery and provenance

Place of creationProbably Lower Saxony
Original locationChapter house of the cathedral chapter of Hildesheim Cathedral

Location and ownership

Temporary relocationNiedersächsisches Landesmuseum Hannover in 2010 during cathedral renovation
Current locationHildesheim Cathedral, Hildesheim, Germany
Former position in cathedralSouthwestern pillar of the crossing
Current position in cathedralNorthwest pier of the crossing; a prominent position in the church

Physical characteristics

Height180 cm
SizeLife-size
Mary's clothingWhite underdress with a sumptuous blue robe edged in gold, draped from the right shoulder
Christ Child's appearanceNaked and held on Mary's left arm; leaning forward away from his mother and looking toward the viewer
Mary's crownTall gold crown with five three-lobed lilies, interpreted as a symbol of the Trinity

Materials

MaterialWood, polychromed

History and restoration

Scientific examinationComputed tomography revealed problems in the wood and paint layers
RestorationRestored in 2012 by Roksana Jachim at the workshop of the Klosterkammer Hannover; returned to the cathedral on 15 August 2014 after restoration of both the sculpture and the cathedral
Surface treatmentPainted in color

Iconography and meaning

Christ Child's attributesA quill in his right hand and a scroll lying on his knees, unrolled to his feet
Mary's attributeAn inkpot held in her right hand for the Child
ThemeWriting
Iconographic interpretationThe child writing in his mother's arms is a medieval motif of the learning of Jesus, not a biblical motif; it may allude to the Book of Life or the Book of Salvation, with Mary providing the ink as material for Christ's salvific work; another interpretation is that the inkpot signifies the Child's total wisdom from the beginning

Appearance

Stylistic featuresTender faces, relaxed posture, and flowing drapery

Significance

SignificanceThe most important and prominent image of the Mother of God in Hildesheim Cathedral

Other

Cathedral dedicationDedicated to the Assumption of Mary
World Heritage statusHildesheim Cathedral was declared a World Heritage Site in 1985
Research referenceRoksana Jachim wrote an academic thesis on the sculpture