Medallion with the Face of Christ

Polish

On view at The Met Cloisters in Gallery 14

Carved from amber, a honey-colored fossilized pine resin, this luminous image seems to echo medieval prayers that praise the Face of Jesus, shining with “the semblance of divine splendor.” Europe’s amber trade was controlled by the Teutonic Knights, whose castles dominated the Baltic coast. Amber carvers made rosary beads and, occasionally, for princely patrons, statuettes of saints or holy images like this one, framed in silver or ivory. Only two other examples survive, both with silver frames.

#140. Medallion with the Face of Christ

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Medallion with the Face of Christ, Baltic amber with traces of paint, Polish

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Medallion with the Face of Christ, Baltic amber with traces of paint, Polish
Medallion with the Face of Christ, Baltic amber with traces of paint, Polish
Medallion with the Face of Christ, Baltic amber with traces of paint, Polish
Medallion with the Face of Christ, Baltic amber with traces of paint, Polish
Medallion with the Face of Christ, Baltic amber with traces of paint, Polish
Medallion with the Face of Christ, Baltic amber with traces of paint, Polish
Medallion with the Face of Christ, Baltic amber with traces of paint, Polish
Medallion with the Face of Christ, Baltic amber with traces of paint, Polish

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