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Christ Gathering Roses, Centerpiece of an Altar Cloth(?)
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art. Free to download, adapt and use — no permission needed.
About this work
The altar cloth was probably made for a southern German convent in the 15th century. While the focus on the Christ child is typical for female spirituality in the late Middle Ages, there are no comparative examples for the Christ child picking flowers. The detailed depiction of plants and flowers is of unusual quality for the embroideries of this period.
Cleveland Museum of Art’s own descriptionCredit lineChrist Gathering Roses, Centerpiece of an Altar Cloth(?), early to mid-1400s. Germany. Linen: plain weave; silk: embroidery (split stitch); overall: 85.1 x 92.1 cm (33 1/2 x 36 1/4 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of Elizabeth and Martin David in memory of the Heidenhain family, 2021.238
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