Enamel plaque with The Adoration of the Magi

Enamel plaque with The Adoration of the Magi, set in a gilt
bronze Pax

This richly decorated object, called a pax (peace in Latin), was kissed by worshippers at the end of church Mass – a practice called the kiss of peace. The Christian subject matter and small size of painted enamels also made them suitable for devotion in the home, where they often hung at the end of a bed. The artist of this work has not been identified but about 50 enamels are attributed to him. He worked in the French city of Limoges, the centre of enamel production.