6617 - Mexican

Mexican Mid-18th century devotional miniature depicting the Assumption of the Virgin Mary and the twelve apostles before the empty tomb, set within a border of flowers and fruit. Gouache and gold paint over brown pen and ink, on parchment. 15.4 x 12.2 cm (in the oval). In Mexico, painted lapel badges were a central decorative element of a nun’s religious habit, especially on the day she took her vows. They emerged in response to the religious reforms of Archbishop Francisco Manso y Zúñiga (in office 1629–35), who sought to curtail the luxury and privileges of monastic life. He forbade nuns from wearing insignia made of gold, gemstones, and enamel. The nuns circumvented this rule by commissioning medallions (medallón de monja) that were painted on copper or parchment and set in tortoiseshell frames. - Please ask for condition reports for individual lots, as the condition is usually not mentioned in the catalog. - Please ask for condition reports for individual lots, as the condition is usually not mentioned in the catalog.