Coffret with Woodcut of Saint Veronica's Vernicle
Coffret: c. 1515; Woodcut: c. 1509
Medium
Wood, leather, iron, textile, woodcut with stenciled coloring
Dimensions
28 × 18.5 × 10 cm · sheet with print: 29 × 19 cm
Classification
Department
Medieval Art
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund
Accession Number
2020.228
Tags
About this artwork
This remarkable object is thought to have functioned as a traveling case to keep small valuables and books, as well as a provisional altar. Made in France around 1515, the interior lid is affixed with a devotional woodcut made in Germany, imported, and colored for the purpose. Featuring an image of the veil of Saint Veronica, the text at the bottom of the woodcut guides the user in prayer to the holy image of Christ’s face which has been miraculously imprinted on the veil, an action that held pr...