Wednesday, December 11, 2019

Adoring the Adoration of the Magi

Miniature Altarpiece: Adoration of the Magi

A couple of years ago we went to the Art Gallery of Ontario for an exhibit of exquisite boxwood miniatures which included prayer beads and this Adoration of the Magi. When the doors are open it's a little over 15 centimetres, or 6 inches wide and about five inches in height, but the central scene is only 8 cm or 3 inches in height. Researchers used CT scanners to get a better sense of how the artisans created these pieces but we can never really comprehend the remarkable skill brought to bear on each piece.

I wonder, would a tiny altarpiece such as this one be used devotionally?  It is about 500 years old, so it was created around the time King Henry VIII assumed the throne in England, although this creation is from the Netherlands. Was it brought out for this season of Advent, or Christmas,  or closer to Epiphany in the new year?  When I leaf through Voices United the oldest Epiphany hymn is from the 17th century and I can't remember it ever being sung (VU 83) so this really is a treasure from the past.

Perhaps we can all move our Wise Ones closer to the front of our Nativity Scenes at some time during the next few weeks. They may not be fine art, but they are precious in the telling of our stories of the season. 
Image result for Adoration of the Magi boxwood AGO

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