Diptych with the Annunciation
Unknown Artist
14th century
Medium
Basse taille enamel, silver
Dimensions
Overall: 1 7/16 x 2 3/16 x 3/16in. (3.7 x 5.5 x 0.5cm) closed: 1 7/16 x 1 1/8 x 3/8 in. (3.7 x 2.9 x 1 cm) Leather case: 2 3/16 x 1 5/8 x 11/16in. (5.5 x 4.2 x 1.7cm)
Classification
Enamels-Basse taille
Culture
British
Department
Medieval Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of J. Pierpont Morgan, 1917
Accession Number
17.190.2097a
Tags
Art Historical Context
This exquisite 14th-century British diptych, depicting the Annunciation, captures a pivotal moment in Christian theology: the Archangel Gabriel announcing to the Virgin Mary that she will Jesus. Crafted as a portable devotional object, its diminutive size—closing to just 1 7/16 x 1 1/8 inches accompanying leather case suggest it was designed for personal prayer, perhaps carried by a noble or cleric during travel or daily devotion. The artwork shines through its innovative medium of basse-taille enamel on silver, a sophisticated medieval technique. The silver base is finely engraved with delic...