This is a Bohemian Gothic panel painting dating from the fifteenth century. The work shows the Virgin and Child recessed in the centre of a gilded panel. The Virgin is dressed with a white veil and jewelled crown, and the infant Christ in Violet with golden stars. He has in his hands a goldfinch and a golden ball. The goldfinch is known for nesting in and eating thorns and thistles; in Christian symbolism it is therefore often associated with the Passion and Christ’s crown of thorns. It is used in images of the Christ Child to represent the foreknowledge that Jesus and Mary had of the Crucifixion. The golden orb could be a pomegranate, which is a traditional symbol of the Resurrection, or possibly could suggest the apple that was eaten by Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden; representing the fall of man, and Christ’s role as our redeemer.

Surrounding the central image is a raised frame which contains eight smaller painted compositions representing The Joys of the Madonna. They seem to include (reading from top left to bottom right); the Annunciation, the Visitation, the Birth of Christ, The Adoration of the Magi, the Presentation of Jesus at the Temple, the Resurrection, the Pentecost, and the Death of the Virgin. In between these painted scenes are stamped indentations of the twelve Apostles, some accompanied with now much faded lines of text.

There are approximately 30 existing Bohemian Gothic panel paintings from Bohemia, dated c.1390- c.1510 that still have their original frames with figural decorations. It is believed that the use of Bohemian pictures with decorated frames was for prayer and adoration, thus the purpose of the painted surround was twofold. Firstly it represented the saints as constantly present adorants of the picture. Secondly the bands of words included could refer to a specific prayer text, and thus aid the worshipper.