2-757-832 - Heritage Art/Heritage Images

Medallion with the Feast of Ahasuerus, early 16th century. The medallion must originally have formed part of a larger ensemble focusing on the story of Esther, the biblical heroine feted in the Jewish feast of Purim. By tricking her gullible Persian husband, King Ahasuerus, host of the dinner party seen here, Esther became the savior of the Jewish people. In art, her story was associated with royal women in the Burgundian Netherlands, as a means of comparing their strong commitment to their people to Esther’s good example.