ADVENT CALENDAR 2022

" " — Nativity scene from a 15th-century Flemish Book of Hours. Glencairn Museum collection, Bryn Athyn, PA, 07.MS.639a.

13. NATIVITY SCENE FROM A BOOK OF HOURS

This Nativity scene is from a page in a 15th-century Flemish medieval prayer book known as the Book of Hours. Mary is on the left, a small naked Christ Child is at the center, and Joseph is on the right. An angel kneels behind them. All of the figures have their hands clasped in prayer. Mary is larger than all of the other figures and the only one with a halo.

This page comes from the section of the book known as The Hours of the Virgin. These personal prayer books contained devotions appropriate for the eight canonical hours of the day, as well as other prayers and texts.

Visit us at Follow the Star: A 2022 Advent Calendar.