Small Italian Triptych

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This is a small antique religious devotional shrine (a triptych).

It’s a tabletop piece made of wood and gesso with … Read more This is a small antique religious devotional shrine (a triptych).

It’s a tabletop piece made of wood and gesso with worn gilded decoration. The two hinged side panels fold inward to protect the image, and when opened they reveal a printed icon of the Madonna holding the Christ Child (with a small accompanying figure). The pointed Gothic-style top and delicate gold detailing imitate a miniature church altar.

The heavy wear, flaking paint, and hand-applied ornament suggest it’s an older European devotional object — likely late 19th to early 20th century — meant for private prayer on a bedside table or home altar rather than a church. See less