Schatzbehalter der wahren Reichtumer des Heils

The Schatzbehalter des wahren Reichtümer des Heils (Treasury of the true riches of salvation) is a devotional text written by Stephan Fridolin and published by Anton Koberger in Nuremberg in 1491. Fridolin was a Franciscan monk who served as the preacher in a monastery in Nuremberg. His book is a treatise on the Passion of Christ, which contained 100 meditations on, and images of, Christ’s suffering.

The series begins and ends with the representation of a pair of hands that serve as mnemonic (memory) devices. The first pair of hands is marked with numbers that refer to individual meditations in the book — one through fifty on the left hand and fifty-one through 100 on the right. These images enabled readers to memorize 100 themes according to specific numbers and locations on the depicted hand.

The second pair of hands presents small busts of saintly figures on the ten fingers. The twelve apostles occupy the left hand, while another twelve saints, including the Evangelists, John the Baptist, and Joseph, are depicted on the right. Each figure is numbered and labeled with the saint’s name. With this image, the reader was supposed to memorize the twelve articles of the Apostles’ Creed printed next to the left hand. Both thumbs feature Christ and Mary, meant to help the reader remember the Passion of Christ.

Provenance

Provenance (from the French provenir, 'to come from/forth') is the chronology of the ownership, custody, or location of a historical object. Learn more about provenance at the Walters.

Julius Vandenpeereboom [1843-1917], Brussels. Acquired by Henry Walters, Baltimore; by bequest to Walters Art Museum, 1931.