The Virtuoso of Ivory: The Life and Legacy of Georg Petel In the turbulent landscape of the early seventeenth century, amidst the shadows cast by the Thirty Years’ War, a singular talent emerged from the Bavarian countryside to redefine the boundaries of German sculpture. Georg Petel, often known as Jörg Petel, was not merely a craftsman but a virtuoso whose hands breathed life into ivory and bronze with an unparalleled delicacy. Born around 1601 or 1602 in Weilheim, Petel’s early life was marked by profound loss; orphaned in his infancy, he was raised under the guardianship of Bartholomäus…