In the late 11^th century, one of the greatest historical and artistical times in Campania, in the South of Italy, a significant role was played in this sense by Alfano, the Archbishop of Salerno. He personally committed the episcopal throne inside the Cathedral, with the intention to catch the eye of anyone who entered as a symbol of the ultimate devotion. Of this work, with scenes from the Old and New Testament, only 67 ivory plaques still remain.

The throne was realized in ivory, a precious material which can be considered inferior only to gold. Working with ivory required advanced skills from the artists, who had to know how to extract the thin layers from an elephant tusk before being able to delicately carve a scene.

Possibly planned and executed for the Cathedral of Amalfi, it is the most extensive series of ivory panels to an artifact that predates the Gothic Era. They prove to be an artistic production that, due to the valuable nature of its material and the quality of its execution – not to mention the inherent interest of its narrative sequence –, is without comparison.