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Image

RISDM 52-002 v_01.jpg
RISDM 52-002 v_02.jpg
52.002.jpg
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French

Pax, ca. 1510

Now On View

Description

Maker

  • Unknown

Culture

French

Title

Pax

Year

ca. 1510

Medium

Shell and silver

Materials/Techniques

Materials

  • shell,
  • silver

Dimensions

12.1 x 8.9 x 2.2 cm (4 3/4 x 3 1/2 x 7/8 inches) without handle

Type

  • Sculpture

Credit

Museum Works of Art Fund

Object Number

52.002

Exhibition History

Exhibition History

European Galleries

During Mass, worshippers in the medieval and Renaissance eras kissed an object known as the pax. This symbolized the act of kissing each other, a customary early Christian greeting known as the Kiss of Peace (osculum pacis). While some pax were stationary objects, many—including this one—had handles attached to the back, allowing them to be held outward. Pax were produced in a variety of materials and typically featured scenes from the lives of Jesus and Mary. Here the natural layers of a shell were carved to depict the Annunciation, the announcement by the angel Gabriel to the Virgin Mary that she would conceive God’s son.

Use

The images on this website can enable discovery and collaboration and support new scholarship, and we encourage their use. This object is in the public domain (CC0 1.0). This object is Pax with the accession number of 52.002. To request high-resolution files or new photography, please send an email to imagerequest@risd.edu and include your name and the object's accession number.

Feedback

We view our online collection as a living documents, and our records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you have additional information or have spotted an error, please send feedback to curatorial@risd.edu.

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