Prayer Bead with the Adoration of the Magi and the Crucifixion

Prayer Bead with the Adoration of the Magi and the Crucifixion

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Carved with astonishingly minute detail, this rosary bead probably was created with the help of a magnifying lens. When opened, it forms a triptych. On the left is the Journey to Bethlehem and the Nativity; in the center is the Journey of the Magi, complete with horses and camels, followed by their Adoration of the baby Jesus and offering of gifts; and on the right is the Presentation of the Child in the Temple at Jerusalem. The Latin inscription is the text of Psalm 71:10, which refers to kings of Arabia and Saba and is associated by Christians with the Magi. Adam and Eve appear on the outside of the wings. The Crucifixion of Jesus occupies the lower half of the bead.

Medieval Art and The Cloisters

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Prayer Bead with the Adoration of the Magi and the CrucifixionPrayer Bead with the Adoration of the Magi and the CrucifixionPrayer Bead with the Adoration of the Magi and the CrucifixionPrayer Bead with the Adoration of the Magi and the CrucifixionPrayer Bead with the Adoration of the Magi and the Crucifixion

The Museum's collection of medieval and Byzantine art is among the most comprehensive in the world. Displayed in both The Met Fifth Avenue and in the Museum's branch in northern Manhattan, The Met Cloisters, the collection encompasses the art of the Mediterranean and Europe from the fall of Rome in the fourth century to the beginning of the Renaissance in the early sixteenth century. It also includes pre-medieval European works of art created during the Bronze Age and early Iron Age.