Triptych: The Life of the Virgin
Unknown Artist
c. 1325–1350
Medium
ivory, traces of gilding
Dimensions
25.9 × 21.3 cm
Classification
Ivory
Department
Medieval Art
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund
Accession Number
1951.450
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
The Virgin and Child, standing beneath a three-part arch, occupy the central plaque of this triptych. On the wings are carved four scenes from the life of the Virgin: the Annunciation, the Visitation, the Adoration of the Magi, and Christ's Presentation in the Temple. By the end of the 12th century, devotional objects like this became widespread in many parts of Western Europe as a result of the growing cult of the Virgin.