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Anonymous Parisian Artist
Virgin and Bleeding Christ Child, hand-colored woodcut (c. 250 x 160 mm.)
in a wood and metal Gothic coffret (180 x 270 x 115 mm.)
France, Paris, c. 1490-1500 |
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Traditionally called messenger’s boxes, these sturdy reinforced boxes have metal hoops for straps to attach to the back of the horse or the shoulder of the messenger. Some of the larger boxes still have remnants of straw padding to protect the shoulder of the messenger or the flanks of the horse in transit. The present box includes a double locking system, one lock opening the box itself, and another opening a flat compartment in the cover. Explanations of the function of the boxes must take into account the “secret compartment. Another impression of this dramatic image of the bleeding Christ is found in a box in the Berlin.
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