Arched plate: the Apparition of the Virgin (Lombardy)

This enamelled plate represents the Apparition of the Virgin, surrounded by friezes of floral and plant motifs. In the sky, the Virgin in glory, depicted from the waist up with her hands joined, is carried by two cherubs as she emerges from the clouds, from which four winged heads of cherubs appear. 

The Virgin appears to a group of nine figures, standing or kneeling, most with their hands together or raised towards the sky. Seven of them are saints, both male and female, with halos. These characters, clerks and laymen, wear religious or civilian clothing. The inscription "O mater Dei ora pro nobis" ("O Mother of God, pray for us") supports the iconography of the Apparition of the Virgin. The technique used is painted enamel with gold accents.

The theme of the Virgin in glory surrounded by saints, which first emerged in Flemish painting, spread to Italy towards the end of the 15th century. The style and technique of this enamelled plate suggest it was created in Lombardy, possibly in the Duchy of Milan. The Milan context of the late 15th and early 16th centuries was very stimulating. This plate is part of a series of painted enamels created in Milan for the court and entourage of the Visconti, and later the Sforza, lords of the city.