2-737-593 - Heritage Art/Heritage Images

Pendant with the Virgin and Child, c. 1160-1170. This pendant was made in the Rhine-Meuse region--now in modern Belgium--renowned for the production of fine metalwork objects, especially enamels. An enamel plaque depicting the enthroned Virgin and Christ child dominates the pendant. Four peripheral enamels depict angelic figures representing virtues: Humility, Virginity, Piety, and Mercy, each identified by an inscription. The pendant may have been made to serve as a reliquary to house a consecrated host. The refined craftsmanship and costly materials fittingly honor these sacred remains.