What this record describes
Painted on a single strip of parchment, this small folding book, sometimes described as a sensul, assumes a form that first appeared in the 16th century. These strips, which are typically folded into multiple compartments, feature painted decoration and accompanying inscriptions that identify the picture and include short hymns or prayers. Two hide covers, which might not be original, have been stitched onto either end of the strip to create a protective cover. The small scale of the object, which fits comfortably into a pocket, indicates that it was designed for private devotion. The book, which unfolds to present a miniature picture cycle, was perfectly suited to its function. The ten panels that make up the object create a pictorial synopsis of the life of Mary, beginning with her birth and ending in her assumption into Heaven. The fact that each end of the parchment strip incorporate
Quoted from the Wikimedia Commons file page, written by the uploader.
- Source date
- late 17 th century
- Date evidence
- Date from the Wikimedia Commons file record, which dates the file rather than the object.
- Holding institution
- The Walters Art Museum
- Catalogue source
- Wikimedia Commons
- Source record
- commons-18782526