Virgin and Child in Majesty, Metropolitan Museum of Art (New
York) ■ This type of
sculpture, with the Christ child seated in the Virgin's lap in a frontal pose,
is known as a Sedes Sapientiae (Throne of Wisdom). These seemingly
straightforward images convey complex theological ideas. Mary serves as
Christ's throne. Like his ancestors King David and King Solomon, Christ
possesses wisdom and justice. Christ would have held a Bible, the divine wisdom
that he himself embodies. From the 1100s, Mary was increasingly revered as a
nurturing, merciful intercessor. Such statues were used as devotional objects,
and they might have been carried in church processions. This image probably
also functioned as a container for holy relics, since it has two cavities-one
behind the Virgin's shoulder, the other at her chest, probably added later ■
