User:Bmdodge/Scenes of the Passion

Scenes of the Passion, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Rogers Fund

Scenes of the Passion is a pendant triptych from the 16^th century. The pendant was carved out of boxwood and hummingbird feathers behind the carvings. Scenes of the Passion is primarily attributed to Spain or Spanish-America. These micro carvings show 5 scenes from the Passion of Jesus Christ. This piece is currently in the American Wing at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.

Scenes of the Passion

Scenes of the Passion is a devotional piece of jewelry that depicts five scenes of the final hours of Jesus Christ, including the Garden of Gethsemane, the Flagellation, Christ before Pontius Pilate, Christ Carrying the Cross, and the Crucifixion. The exterior of the pendant is gold, with enamel inlayed to create an intricate design. The interior is carved boxwood, with hummingbird feathers that are adhered behind the carvings. This pendant is only 1-3/4 inch by 1-3/4inch, classifying these carvings as microcarvings. This was likely hung on a chain, due to the clasp on the top of the piece.

Exterior of the Scenes of the Passion, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Rogers Fund

Feather Mosaics and Boxwood Carvings

In the quest to conquer the “New World”, Hernán Cortés and his crew of missionaries arrived in modern-day Mexico in 1519. From then until 1521 a war ensued. This was later referred to as the “Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire”.After the war, the new colonizers set out to convert the indigenous people of the new land. They opened new schools, built Christian churches, and opened workshops for native artists. The focus of such workshops was to create religious art using native techniques. One of these techniques was amantecayotl, or feather mosaics. They often used feathers from hummingbirds- native to Mexico- and glued them onto the mosaics. For the Aztecs, this featherwork and the feather mosaics were used for ceremonial use and often shown rank in Aztec royalty. The Toltec god Quetzalcoatl- or “serpent in precious feathers”.  The hummingbird feathers at the time of this piece’s creation shone in iridescent colors, creating a brilliant backdrop for the scenes.

The boxwood comes from boxwood trees, which are native to the Mediterranean. The use of boxwood in art began in the late Middle Ages, following the decline of the use of ivory. The woods even grain, denseness, and ability to be polished made it popular medium in the Renaissance. This type of wood allows for highly detailed and small carvings, making it popular for micro carvings produced in Northern Europe.

Due to the histories of these methods, the location for this piece is only speculated. Formally, it was attributed to Spain, however The Metropolitan Museum of Art attributes it to possibly Mexico.

The 5 Scenes

The five scenes from the Passion of Christ are all based on the stories of the last hours of Jesus Christ, as told in the Bible. These scenes are The Garden of Gethsemane, Flagellation, Christ before Pontius Pilate, Christ Carrying the Cross, and The Crucifixion.

The Garden of Gethsemane

The Garden of Gethsemane is outlined in Luke 22:39-46. These verses tell when Jesus went to the garden, although Gethsemane is not specifically named. According to Luke 22:44, “He prayed even more passionately, like one being sacrificed, until he was in such intense agony of spirit that his sweat became drops of blood, dripping onto the ground.” This can be seen in the top right portion of the triptych, where Jesus on his knees, praying under an archway in the garden.

Flagellation

As written in John 19:1-3, The Flagellation of Christ is when Jesus is shown on the pillar, before being beaten by the soldiers. Shown in the bottom left portion of the triptych, we see Jesus before the pillar, surrounded by the guards that whipped him with leather straps.

Christ before Pontius Pilate

In the bottom left portion of the triptych, we see Jesus, held by a guard before the Pilate, wearing what would have been a purple robe and a crown of thorns. This story is told in John 19:8-16, when Pilate discovers that Jesus is the son of God and gave him a chance to escape from his sentencing, but Jesus continued to stand trial.

Christ Carrying the Cross

In the final scene on the outside of the triptych on the top left portion. As in John, 19:17, we see Christ bringing the cross he would be crucified on out to “the Skull”, where he would die.

The Crucifixion

The center scene of the pendant depicts Jesus being crucified on the cross with two others, one on the left, one on the right, and Jesus in the center. Four onlookers sit at the base of the carving. The carving second to the left is believed to be Mary. The carver took care in carving the faces, as we can still see the expressions of agony on the faces of those crucified, and the mourning on Mary’s face.

Similar Pendants

"Triptych", pendant, The British Museum

There are four other pendants similar to this one. “Triptych” at the British Museum, one at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, another in the Melvin Gutman Collection, and a fourth, A pendant triptych "Scenes of Christ's Passion" was sold in auction through the Cabral Moncada Leilões Art Auctioneers of Lisbon in 2021.