Adoration of the Magi

April 15, 2022

Image shows three men presenting gifts to the Virgin Mary, who holds Jesus. Joseph is not shown. One of the wisemen, presumably Balthazar, has dark skin relative to the other figures. He appears to be wearing a turban. — Three Wise Men (Magi) presenting gifts. One wise man appears with darker skin relative to the others and wearing a turban. He is usually identified as Balthazar.

Often, the Adoration of the Magi feature magi (magicians or wisemen) from the three continents (Africa, Asia, and Europe) to symbolize the spread of Christianity to the entire world. This example, from the Grolier Club in New York, may be representing Balthazar as African, according to the influential work of Paul Kaplan (The Rise of the Black Magus in Western Art).

This illumination is from a sixteenth century French manuscript: New York, Grolier Club, MS 10. The Grolier Club is private but its collections are open to the public.

Details:
Description: ff. ii (paper) + 71 + ii (paper) – Modern red velvet. – Arms of first owners: 1, azure a six-pointed star or between three crescents or; 2, gules a bend sable charged with three small cups (?) or. George Bruce collection; given to the Grolier Club in July 1894 by David Wolfe Bruce. – De Ricci, p. 1290.

Direct Link: http://ds.lib.berkeley.edu/MS10_24
Language: Latin; French Country: France Century: 16th