The Three Magi (?)
Unknown Artist
15th century
Medium
Wood with paint and gilding
Dimensions
Overall (without base): 12 1/8 x 8 1/4 x 2 in. (30.8 x 21 x 5.1 cm) Overall (with base): 14 3/4 x 10 7/8 x 3 11/16 in. (37.4 x 27.6 x 9.3 cm)
Classification
Sculpture-Wood
Culture
French or South Netherlandish
Department
Medieval Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of J. Pierpont Morgan, 1917
Accession Number
17.190.377
Art Historical Context
This exquisite 15th-century wooden sculpture, tentatively titled *The Three Magi*, hails from French or South Netherlandish during the late Gothic period. Carved from wood and adorned with vibrant paint and gilding, it the revered biblical figures who brought gifts to the infant Christ, a motif central to medieval Christian devotion. The modest scale—about 12 inches tall without its base—suggests it may have graced a private altar, processional cross, or nativity scene, inviting intimate contemplation amid the era's growing emphasis on emotional piety. The use of polychrome and gilding was a ...