UNKNOWN MASTER, Spanish
(active c. 1100 in northeast Spain)

Adoration of the Magi

c. 1100
Carved whalebone, 37 x 16 cm
Victoria and Albert Museum, London

Despite its strong German influence, this carved whalebone panel was made in northeast Spain. It shows the figures of the three kings standing not on the ground, but apparently suspended in space. The shapes of their feet overlap to form an interwoven pattern, an effect accentuated by their intersecting staffs.