ticketsMember | Make a donation
English

Crib of the Infant Jesus

15th century
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 306
Miniature cradles for the Christ Child were popular devotional objects in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries and were venerated, especially in convents, where they were often presented to women taking their vows. This splendid cradle comes from the Grand Béguinage of Louvain, Belgium, established for lay women in the twelfth century. It is decorated with carved representations of the Nativity and the Adoration of the Magi on either end. The biblical family tree of Christ is illustrated on the embroidered coverlet.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Crib of the Infant Jesus
  • Date: 15th century
  • Geography: Made in Brabant, South Netherlands
  • Culture: South Netherlandish
  • Medium: Wood, polychromy, lead, silver-gilt, painted parchment, silk embroidery with seed pearls, gold thread, translucent enamels
  • Dimensions: 13 15/16 x 11 3/8 x 7 1/4 in. (35.4 x 28.9 x 18.4 cm)
    Other (pillow): 4 1/4 x 6 3/4 x 1 3/4 in. (10.8 x 17.1 x 4.4 cm)
    Bedcover: 6 7/8 × 6 1/2 × 1/8 in. (17.4 × 16.5 × 0.3 cm)
    Other (Cavity under thre crib): 2 1/16 × 1 1/8 × 1/4 in. (5.2 × 2.8 × 0.7 cm)
  • Classifications: Sculpture, Woodwork, Textiles-Woven, Metalwork-Reliefs, Enamels-Champlevé
  • Credit Line: Gift of Ruth Blumka, in memory of Leopold Blumka, 1974
  • Object Number: 1974.121a–d
  • Curatorial Department: Medieval Art and The Cloisters

Audio

Cover Image for 3045. Crib of the Infant Jesus

3045. Crib of the Infant Jesus

0:00
0:00
We're sorry, the transcript for this audio track is not available at this time. Please email info@metmuseum.org to request a transcript for this track.

More Artwork

More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Saint Bridget of Sweden, Master of Soeterbeeck, Walnut, rock crystal cabochon. Originally painted., South Netherlandish
Saint Bridget of Sweden
Master of Soeterbeeck
ca. 1470
Head of Christ, Limestone, traces of wood thorns, Netherlandish
Head of Christ
Netherlandish
late 15th–early 16th century
Plate with Wife Beating Husband, Copper alloy, wrought, Netherlandish
Plate with Wife Beating Husband
Netherlandish
ca. 1480
Mourning Woman, Walnut, polychromy and gilding, South Netherlandish
Mourning Woman
South Netherlandish
ca. 1480
The Miracle of the Palm Tree on the Flight to Egypt, Walnut, gesso, paint, and gilding, Spanish
The Miracle of the Palm Tree on the Flight to Egypt
Spanish
ca. 1490–1510

Related Content

Perspectives

Articles, audio, and video from The Met's online magazine.

Timeline of Art History

Entries from The Met's art encyclopedia.

Publications

Books, guides, and catalogues published by The Met.

Showing 4 of 17

Research Resources

The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.

To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.

Feedback

We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.