Adoration Of The Magi – A Carved, Polychrome And Gilded Alabaster Relief – Mechelen, Circa 1600

Tobias Tissenaken – Adoration of the Magi or Adoration of the 3 Kings 

Carved, polychrome, and gilded alabaster – Mechelen, ca. 1600 

Description

High relief in Mechelen alabaster depicting the Adoration of the Magi, bearing on its lower border the characteristic gilded mark of Tobias Tissenaken, a sculptor active in Mechelen at the turn of the 16th and 17th centuries.

The scene depicts the Virgin Mary seated with the Infant Jesus, receiving homage from the Three Wise Men. Surrounding the central group is a particularly dense composition, populated by richly dressed figures, attendants, and secondary characters, set against a remarkable architectural backdrop rendered with depth.

The work retains significant traces of its original polychrome painting and gilding, particularly in the costumes and architectural elements, which are characteristic of the work produced by Mechelen workshops. A remarkable workshop mark

On the lower bevel, a gold-painted mark remains very clearly visible, consisting of two T’s framing a central symbol resembling the number 4, accompanied by a second small mark.

This T–4–T monogram is documented as belonging to Tobias Tissenaken, a master sculptor from one of Mechelen’s prominent families of alabaster carvers. Tobias is documented in the city from 1596 onward and died in 1624.

Reliefs bearing this mark are preserved, notably, at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam and the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge. The latter specifically houses a Adoration of the Magi by Tobias Tissenaken, whose mark is described as two T’s accompanied by an intermediate symbol and an additional mark.

The Malines Alabasters
In the late 16th and early 17th centuries, Malines became one of Europe’s major centers for the production of small alabaster reliefs intended for private devotion. These works, traditionally known as “Mehelen alabasters,” were carved by specialized artisans, the cleynstekers, and then embellished with polychrome painting and gilding.
The refinement of their carving, their narrative character, and the preciousness of the alabaster explain their widespread popularity throughout Europe.

This work is a fine example of this Mechelen production from around 1600, made all the more interesting by the fact that its workshop mark remains clearly identifiable.

It is mounted in an antique blackened wooden frame with gilded interior molding, displaying a significant patina.

Dimensions without frame: 12.5 cm x 9.5 cm

Condition

Condition consistent with the age and particularly fragile nature of alabaster: cracks, chips, small losses, and old restorations, clearly visible in the photographs. Partial wear of the polychrome paint and gilding, though many traces of these remain. Despite these alterations, the composition remains particularly legible and retains a remarkable presence.

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