Anonymous: Tabernacle of saint Nicolas (14th century)

(Museu Nacional d'art de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain)

A sculpture made by an unknown Catalonian artist. This piece is a tabernacle, a holy house. Today the term is used in the catholic church for a fixed, locked box in which the consecrated Eucharist is stored. In this case this tabernacle holds a statue of saint Nicolas of Myra, the patron saint of children, sailors, the falsely accused, which would be placed upon an altar. The tabernacle is shaped like a tower with side panels which could be opened (to show the saint) and closed - the front panels are missing in this case. The two remaining side panels are decorated with events from the life of the saint. On the left side is the ordination of the saint as a priest (top left) & as a bishop (bottom left). On the right side are two pictures saint Nicolas saving three innocent men from execution. The text on the panels reads "the story of lord saint Nicolas". Sculpture from the first half of the 14th century.