Corner Capital with the Dream of the Magi

ca. 1135–50

On view at The Met Cloisters in Gallery 03

An angel swoops down to touch a sleeping king. Three additional kings form the group of Wise Men who, according to Christian belief, followed a star to find the infant Jesus and pay homage to him. While the gospel of Saint Matthew that tells of their visit does not specify the number of Magi (the “magicians” or astrologers of their day) who made the journey, traditionally, they are represented as a group of three, corresponding to the three types of gifts specified: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. To protect the child from the jealous rage of Herod, king of Judaea under the Romans, the angel warned the Magi in a dream not to divulge the whereabouts of Jesus. The abbey of Saint-Pons-de-Thomières, founded in 936 by Raymond Pons, count of Toulouse, flourished in the Middle Ages but was badly damaged in 1567 during an attack by the Huguenots, French Protestants. This capital, clearly damaged, may have been removed at that time.

Artwork Details

Overview

Provenance

References

Title: Corner Capital with the Dream of the Magi
Date: ca. 1135–50
Geography: Made in Languedoc, France
Culture: French
Medium: Marble
Dimensions: 13 5/8 × 12 1/2 × 12 1/2 in. (34.6 × 31.8 × 31.8 cm)
Classification: Sculpture-Architectural
Credit Line: Gift of Fogg Art Museum, 1922
Object Number: 22.37.2
Curatorial Department: Medieval Art and The Cloisters

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