The Adoration of the Magi

The Three Magi present themselves before the Child Jesus, who blesses them. This traditional scene from Christian iconography is painted on enamel here. It adorns a kiss of peace, a liturgical object presented to the assembly of Christians during Mass.

This kiss of peace consists of a curved enamelled plate within an intricately designed architectural frame. It has a handle on the back. It represents the Adoration of the Magi.

On the left, Mary presents her unclothed Son, sat on her knee to the oldest magus, who is kneeling and bareheaded, holding an open casket. In the background, the other two kings standing hold a covered cup and a pyxis; one is bearded and wearing a turban, while the other is clean-shaven and wearing a crown.

The iconography of the Adoration of the Magi has followed a traditional pattern since the 13th century: the elderly magus kneeling before the Virgin and Child, with the other two standing in the background. The three magi symbolise the ages of life, youth, maturity and old age.

The architectural setting consists of an ornate canopy with pendant bosses, an ornamental column with statuettes of Saint John and a holy martyr alongside, and a crenellated base.

This kiss of peace belongs to the first generation of painted enamels from Limousin (c. 1470 – c. 1520). The resemblance to enamels from the Nardon Pénicaud workshop (facial features, draped fabric, enamel colours), along with the architectural framework that straddles the Gothic and Renaissance styles, likely contemporary to the enamel, suggests that this object was created in the Nardon Pénicaud workshop in the early 16th century.

Provenance: Alex Brunet collection; donated by the Friends of the Musée de Cluny in 2023.