Palmesel
The German word Palmesel (palm donkey) refers to the statue of Jesus on a donkey, mounted on a wheeled platform, which was part of Palm Sunday processions in many German-speaking regions until the Reformation. These processions, which reenacted Christ’s entry into Jerusalem mounted on a donkey, were lively pageants in which hymns were sung, palms strewn, and clothes spread on the ground before the Palmesel. The figure of Jesus retains, in contrast, an air of quiet majesty.
The donkey’s hooves and the fingers on Christ’s proper right hand are restored; the platform and wheels are modern.
The donkey’s hooves and the fingers on Christ’s proper right hand are restored; the platform and wheels are modern.
Artwork Details
- Title: Palmesel
- Date: 15th century
- Geography: Made in Franconia, Germany
- Culture: German
- Medium: Limewood with paint
- Dimensions: Overall (w/ base): 61 1/2 x 23 3/4 x 54 1/2 in., 182lb. (156.2 x 60.3 x 138.4 cm, 82554.7g)
- Classification: Sculpture-Wood
- Credit Line: The Cloisters Collection, 1955
- Object Number: 55.24
- Curatorial Department: Medieval Art and The Cloisters
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British or North French
ca. 1200
Tilman Riemenschneider
ca. 1495
Tilman Riemenschneider
ca. 1500–1505
German
before 1489
German
before 1489
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