Set against the silhouette of a mountain, the virgin rests beside the manger with the swaddled christ child. Three angels emerge from behind the mountain, one of whom announces the birth of christ to the standing shepherd on the left. In the foreground, the infant receives his first bath while the seated joseph watches the scene. The motif of christ receiving his first bath is characteristic of byzantine images of the nativity and rarely appears in western european art. Date: 10th century (Middle Ages). Place of creation: Constantinople (present-day Istanbul, Turkey). Dimensions: 13.5 × 12.3 × 1 cm (5.3 × 4.8 × 0.3 in). Medium: ivory. Collection: Walters Art Museum.
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