Triptych Pendant depicting Martyrdom of Saint Barbara, Mary Magdalen, and Saint Gereon

The kneeling figure about to be beheaded in the center of this triptych pendant is Saint Barbara, the legendary third-century daughter of a wealthy pagan who reacted violently when she converted to Christianity.1 The father was later struck down by lightning, and Barbara became a patron saint who protected people against lightning and sudden death. Wearing this luxurious miniature altar dedicated to Saint Barbara would have established its medieval owner as devout and pious and perhaps have placed her under the saint’s protection.

When opened, the triptych reveals Mary Magdalene on the left and Saint Gereon on the right. Mary Magdalene wears her characteristic blue-green tunic over a red damask gown and holds her attribute, a vessel of ointment used on Christ’s feet before his burial. Saint Gereon wears a red mantle over blue armor, a plumed hat, and pointed shoes. He too carries his attributes, in this case a sword, shield, and banner. Historical accounts say that Emperor Maximian executed Gereon in the early fourth century for his refusal to make a pagan sacrifice.

The wearer of this pendant was probably associated in some way with the city of Cologne, Germany. Saint Gereon has a basilica dedicated to him there, and Saint Barbara appears as one of six female martyred saints in The Virgin and Child with Saints, a triptych painted in Cologne about 1510 (now in the National Gallery of Australia).

The enamel technique used to create this jewel is known as basse-taille. It entails engraving or chasing a low-relief or intaglio design in gold or silver and then filling the spaces with powdered enamels, which are then fired in a kiln. This pendant used both opaque and translucent enamels. The metal is finely hatched in places where the clear enamels were applied over gold foil. The date 1504 has been engraved on the underside of the central element, and a bail at the bottom of it suggests that it may have once supported a pearl drop.

Yvonne J. Markowitz, “Triptych Pendant Depicting Martyrdom of Saint Barbara, Mary Magdalen, and Saint Gereon” in Artful Adornments: Jewelry from the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston by Yvonne J. Markowitz (Boston: MFA Publications, 2011), 40.