Altar Frontal: Scenes from the Childhood of Christ

Cleveland Museum of Art

The tapestry depicts a horizontal scene divided into three main sections. The tapestry's border is red with a thin gold inner border. Inside the border, a wide red and gold decorative strip runs along the top and bottom. The left section shows a battle scene with multiple figures, some on horseback and some on foot. The figures wear armor and carry swords and shields. The scene shows a chaotic fight. The center section depicts the Virgin Mary sitting on a donkey, holding the Christ child. A man in a red head covering leads the donkey. The donkey faces right. The background shows a landscape with flowers. The right section depicts a domestic interior scene. The scene shows several women sitting around a woman holding an infant. The infant's face is not visible. Two other female figures stand behind the woman holding the infant. The bottom of the tapestry features a floral border with plants and flowers in shades of green, blue, and red.