Pendant Triptych with an Onyx Cameo of the Nativity (c. 1460–1500; cameo: c. 1250–1300): Art, History and Details

Pendant Triptych with an Onyx Cameo of the Nativity (c. 1460–1500; cameo: c. 1250–1300) is in the Cleveland Museum of Art collection.

The work and its context

The museum's open-access catalogue describes the work:

This pendant consists of colorful translucent enamel over an incised gold ground, a technique known as basse-taille, which simulates stained glass. For its owner this pendant was both for private devotion and a deluxe accessory. Made to be worn around the neck or suspended on a bed curtain, the pendant is shaped as a miniature triptych (three-panel painting) with wings or shutters that could be opened and closed. The outer surfaces are decorated with two prophets. The remaining images include various scenes from the life of Christ. Small objects played a key role in private piety. Within this domain of personal spirituality, images were used to venerate and invoke Christ and his saints, as well as to meditate on the most important mysteries of faith or events from the story of salvation. Pious men and women began outfitting rooms in their homes where "one can pray well." Small portable deluxe objects such as ivories, enamel plaques, and jeweled pendants were critical ingredients in this experience of faith.

Object facts

• Title: Pendant Triptych with an Onyx Cameo of the Nativity
• Date: c. 1460–1500; cameo: c. 1250–1300
• Culture: Pendant: France, Paris or Tours; Cameo: Italy, 13th-15th century
• Type: Enamel
• Technique: basse-taille enamel on gold; onyx cameo
• Dimensions: Overall: 5.8 x 2 cm (2 5/16 x 13/16 in.); Part 1: 4.5 x 3.5 cm (1 3/4 x 1 3/8 in.)
• Collection: MED - Gothic
• Department: Medieval Art
• Accession number: 1947.508

Collection credit

Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund

Further reading listed by the museum

• Milliken, William M. "Exhibition of Gold." The Bulletin of the Cleveland Museum of Art 34, no. 9 (1947).
• Evans, Joan. A History of Jewellery, 1100-1870. London: Faber and Faber, 1953.
• The Cleveland Museum of Art. The Cleveland Museum of Art Handbook. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1958.

View the collection record

See the museum's photographs and full catalogue entry. Catalogue text is reproduced from the Cleveland Museum of Art's open-access data, with HTML formatting removed. This object and its supplied image are designated CC0.