Italian, Florence or Siena

During the 1400s, wealthy Italians gave painted trays such as this one to celebrate marriages and anticipate successful childbearing. The birth of Mary, who would become the mother of Jesus, was an appropriate subject to represent the delivery of a healthy child.

Set in a 15th-century Italian home, this scene shows Anne, Mary’s mother, receiving nourishment at her bedside. As a neighbor arrives with gifts, attendants bathe the baby Mary and warm her blankets over a fire. Although worn by age, the tray’s painted narratives and traces of gold leaf indicate that this was a luxury object, intended for display and not for practical use.