Adoration of the Magi (Gothic boxwood altarpiece)
The Adoration of the Magi altarpiece is a small Gothic boxwood miniature, made in the Netherlands c.1500–1530, attributed to the workshop of Adam Dircksz (also known by the Latin name Adam Theodrici or Adam Theodrisi, a common misspelling when referring to his name). Such rarefied and highly ornate objects were intended for private devotion, tand took, by modern art historian estimates, decades to complete, periods equivalent to the entire career of a medieval master carver. Although it is not known how many of these late 15th and early 16th century sculptures were produced , only some 150 examples survive, and they were highly sought after by the upper echelon of collectors in the 19th century. The boxwood is held by Wallace Collection in London, where it is describes as "one of the most important works from the mysterious workshop of Adam Dircksz". Description. Iconography. The object is made from intricately carved boxwood, and measures . It has four main elements, each elaborately decorated in Gothic style. The main body ("corpus") has two doors that open to reveal three New Testament scenes, creating a triptych sculpture: a central depiction of the Adoration of the Magi; the  Nativity of Jesus on the left wing, with the Annunciation to the Shepherds in the background; and a scene combining the Presentation of Jesus at the Temple, the Flight into Egypt, and the Massacre of the Innocents on the right wing. With the doors are closed, the exterior surfaces of the "corpus" are decorated with Old Testament scenes: the main body shows Abraham and the Angels, with the drunkenness of Noah and the building of the Noah's Ark on the left wing, and Jacob's dream on the right wing. The "corpus" is surmounted by a spire with foliate  decoration on four levels, and it is supported by a column decorated with more Old Testament scenes: the Temptation of Adam, the Expulsion from the Garden of Eden, Adam digging and Eve spinning, and their children Cain and Abel. The column stands on a base decorated with scenes from Genesis, showing the creation of the animals, the , and the . Inscriptions. The altarpiece bears a number of Latin inscriptions, quoting or inspired by passages in the Bible. At the front of the base, below the creation of Adam, is the inscription: , taken from Genesis 1:26 ("Let us make man in our  image and likeness". Below the creation of the animals is: (Genesis 1:22: "increase and multiply"); and below the creation of Eve is: ("man embraces his wife"). On the outside of the right wing is: (Genesis 9:20–21 "When Noah drank some of its wine, he became drunk"); on the outside of the main body: (Genesis 18:2 "He sees three and worships one"); and on the outside of the left wing: (Genesis 32:10: "I had only my staff when I crossed this Jordan, but now I have become two camps.") Further inscriptions on the triptych sculpture inside the "corpus" are revealed by  opening the doors. On the right wing: (Luke 2:35: "your own soul will be pierced"); on the central piece: (: "Seeing the star, the wise men"); and on the left wing: (: "And you Bethlehem in the land of Judah / Nicholas"). It has been suggested that the inclusion of St Nicholas and the name "Niclaes" may indicate the first name of the person who commissioned the altarpiece. Provenance. It was created in the Netherlands in the early 16th century, and intended for personal devotional use by a wealthy collector. It was acquired by Sir Richard Wallace from the art dealer Charles Mannheim  in Paris in October 1871. A similar but less ornate boxwood triptych, also attributed to the workshop of Adamn Dircksz, is held by the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. Others are held by the Statens Museum for Kunst in Copenhagen, the Louvre in Paris, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art; an unusual example with Renaissance and Italianate elements is held by the British Museum.