Palmesel

Unknown

15th century · Limewood with paint · The Cloisters

The German word Palmesel (palm donkey) refers to the statue of Jesus on a donkey, mounted on a wheeled platform, which was part of Palm Sunday processions in many German-speaking regions until the Reformation. These processions, which reenacted Christ’s entry into Jerusalem mounted on a donkey, were lively pageants in which hymns were sung, palms strewn, and clothes spread on the ground before the Palmesel. The figure of Jesus retains, in contrast, an air of quiet majesty. The donkey’s hooves and the fingers on Christ’s proper right hand are restored; the platform and wheels are modern.

Artist

Unknown

Date

15th century

Medium

Limewood with paint

Culture

German

Department

The Cloisters

Credit line

The Cloisters Collection, 1955