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.
Enamel plaque with The Adoration of the Magi, set in a gilt bronze Pax, Pseudo-Monvaerni Master (active around 1479–1500), 1470-1500, Copper painted with enamels, set within a gilded metal frame with enamelled flowers. The Courtauld, London (Samuel Courtauld Trust) © The Courtauld

Enamel plaque set in a gilt bronze Pax

Pseudo-Monvaerni Master (active around 1479-1500), 1470-1500

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.

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Two men sit across from each other at a table covered with a brown tablecloth, playing cards. Both men wear overcoats and hats, and the man on the left smokes a pipe. They sit inside a wooden building. i Paul Cézanne (1839-1906) The Card Players, around 1892-96, The Courtauld, London (Samuel Courtauld Trust)

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