The Cologne Diptych

Information provided by the Metropolitan Museum, New York:  

Diptych with scenes of the Annunciation, Nativity, Crucifixion, and Resurrection, 1300—1325
German; Made in Cologne (possibly), Rhine Valley
Silver gilt with translucent and opaque enamels; 2 3/8 x 3 7/16 in. (6.1 x 8.7 cm)
Gift of Ruth Blumka, 1980 (1980.366)

An outstanding example of Gothic goldsmiths' work and enameling, this small devotional diptych achieves a gemlike quality through its accomplished technique and graceful style. The outer scenes of the Crucifixion and the Resurrection are executed in translucent enamel with details in opaque enamel, while the inner scenes of the Annunciation and the Nativity are in the form of cast reliefs.

The diptych generally has been attributed to either a Parisian or a Cologne workshop, but a more precise localization is made difficult not only by the mobility of artists and the resultant transmission of styles, but also by the palpable stylistic differences between the outer and inner wings. In addition, the unusual inclusion of a midwife in the Nativity scene is an iconographic peculiarity that appears for the most part to have been of Austrian origin. While the place in which this diptych originated remains somewhat uncertain, the essential stylistic qualities of the work link it with Cologne.

More of the Annunciation
More of the Nativity
More of the Crucifixion
More of the Resurrection