Nativity and Presentation c. 17th century

Curator: This small relief, titled "Nativity and Presentation," is an anonymous work held here at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: There's a warmth to it despite the rigid medium. It feels like a memory pressed in clay, doesn't it? Curator: The diptych format shows the birth of Jesus alongside his presentation at the temple. You see Mary and the newborn on the left, balanced by the presentation scene on the right, where he is offered to Simeon. Editor: These scenes are so foundational to Western culture, yet presented here in such a humble, unassuming scale. It makes me wonder about the intended audience, the personal devotions of those who beheld this, and how their lives intersected with faith and power. Curator: I love how this object, though broken, still whispers its story. It is a tangible connection to centuries of belief. Editor: Exactly! It's a reminder that even the grandest narratives are lived out in the smallest moments, the individual acts of faith and interpretation.