Late 15th century

Fragments of a Canopy, possibly from a Choir Stall, and Panel with the Tree of Jesse

Artist/maker unknown

This object is composed from a group of fragments discovered in the early 1800s at the château of Argentelles in Normandy, France. When assembled, the elements were thought to form a large, canopied throne—named the “Lit de Justice d’Argentelles”—from which a local lord was believed to have dispensed justice. However, subsequent examination revealed that the upper section appears to consist of parts from a choir stall (seats built along the nave of a church that were sometimes elaborately carved) while the back panel belonged to another structure, probably the back of a ceremonial seat.

Carved in the panel is a portion of the Tree of Jesse, which traces the lineage of Jesus. The Virgin Mary and the infant Jesus appear in a blossom in the top branches; Jesus’s maternal ancestors are seen at the sides and below. Missing here is the ancestral figure of Jesse, who usually appears at the bottom of the composition with the tree trunk growing out of his side.