Appliqued figure: Virgin and Child

This large Virgin and Child probably decorated an altar frontal. It is an appliqued figure that was embroidered separately and then sewn onto a piece of fabric that has since disappeared. Encircled with a halo, wearing a crown and holding a sceptre, she stands on a crescent moon: she is the image of the Woman of the Apocalypse, a symbol of the Church. She is also a Virgin of tenderness, gazing at the Child who wraps his arms around her neck. It is very finely embroidered, and notably uses the or nué (goldwork) technique.