A pope presenting a golden rose to a layperson

Under a small canopy, a pope is recognizable by his mitre and chasuble adorned with a golden pallium. He extends a golden object with five lobes to a kneeling figure, surrounded by a crowd of clerics and laypeople. This is most likely a depiction of the Ceremony of the Golden Rose.

On the fourth Sunday of Lent, the pope traditionally bestowed a golden rose upon a person or institution he wished to particularly honor. This rite, intended to bring joy and comfort in the midst of Lent, is attested as early as the 11th century and took place between the Basilica of the Holy Cross in Jerusalem in Rome and the Lateran Palace. To our knowledge, this is the earliest known depiction of the presentation of the golden rose.

The small object being given does not match the bushy forms of the known medieval golden roses, but the archives of the papal curia attest that until the 14th century, the object was small and lightweight, which could correspond to this representation of a heraldic rose. The pope and the recipient remain unidentified, but the style of the illumination and decoration is characteristic of Roman or Bolognese workshops active in the last quarter of the 13th century.

The acquisition of this miniature is relevant for the Musée de Cluny, which preserves the oldest attested medieval golden rose, dated 1330.

The practice of the pope bestowing a golden rose continues to this day to honor Marian sanctuaries. All medieval golden roses, except for the one in the Musée de Cluny and two others preserved in Andechs (Bavaria, Germany) and Siena (Museo dell’Opera del Duomo), have been melted down.