Pax

From the 13th century, in the Roman Catholic rite of mass the kiss of peace was symbolically given by the priest to the faithful with the help of a so-called pax. The priest kissed the tablet, presented it or handed it over to individual dignitaries. On the Düsseldorf specimen the reverse is more intricately crafted and bears scenes from the Bible, as shown by the richly decorated handle in the center. It shows two scenes from the Old and two from the New Testament, namely the ‘Gathering of Manna’ and ‘Moses striking water from the rock’, plus the ‘Last Supper’ and the ‘Piercing of the side of Jesus on the Cross’. In terms of content, they reference the engraved text on the front, namely the text for the consecration of the Eucharist. It was not uncommon for such valuable tablets to be made for the treasuries of large churches and their bishops too. This pax was made close to Antwerp in the early 17th century, as indicated by the decorative border and style of scenic representation. (Arne Leopold)