Retable (Depicting Madonna and Child, Nativity, and Adoration of the Magi; Altar Frontal Depicting the Resurrection and Six Apostles)

The need to wear and use cloth made from plant and animal fibers has proven fertile ground for the creative imagination, and various methods have evolved to produce or embellish fabrics. The Spanish "Retable and Altar Frontal" is a virtual encyclopedia of needlework techniques. This medieval masterpiece was created for the Bishop of Osma, Spain, about 1468, possibly as a traveling altar. The three scenes above, the Madonna and Child, the Nativity, and the Adoration of the Magi, have been embroidered to imitate painting. Below the altar appear six apostles and the scene of the Resurrection within an elaborate architectural structure. The relief effect of the figures and colonnade, achieved through padding and stuffing, imitates in appearance a Gothic sculpted altar. Gold and silver threads, seed pearls, and spangles enhance the jewel-like character of this sumptuous devotional work.