Adoration of the Magi

Cartapesta (papier-maché) was an inexpensive and widely used medium for sculpture in the late Middle Ages and the Renaissance. Due to its inherent fragility, few examples survive. This relief includes a playful detail embraced by artists working in other media as well: as the kneeling king touches the baby Jesus, the child reaches for his beard and grasps a tuft of hair on his balding pate.

Credit: The Cloisters Collection, 2016