The Annunciation, enameled plaque, Limoges, 1543 Painted enamel on copper, gilt wooden frame. Signed in gold “S.C.” (?) and “N.B.”, dated 1543 Dimensions: 25 × 18.5 cm. 33.5 x 27 cm. (incl. frame) This finely executed plaque depicts the moment of the Annunciation: the Archangel Gabriel appears to Mary to announce the coming of Christ. Mary kneels in prayer before a small lectern or prie-dieu on which an open book rests, a reference to her meditation on Scripture. Behind her is a canopy, beneath which a bed or throne-like piece of furniture is visible, a common motif underscoring her sacred status as Mother of God. Between Gabriel and Mary floats a spiral-shaped banderole that connects to the Holy Spirit, represented by a dove descending from above. The banderole symbolizes the divine message of the angel and follows the tradition of representations in which the words “Ave Maria gratia plena” from Luke 1:28 are rendered either implicitly or explicitly. The composition is executed in the email peint technique, with a characteristic blue ground and gold highlights. The signature “N.B.” and the date “1543” are clearly legible in gold. Before them appears an additional initial, possibly “S.C.”. Although the meaning of this second signature remains uncertain, “N.B.” is generally attributed to an anonymous master active in Limoges during the 1540s–1550s. The initials “S.C.” are not documented as belonging to a known artist in this context and may represent a workshop indication or a patron’s mark. Comparable works: - Flannery Collection / Sotheby’s London: Temptation and Resurrection, painted enamel, signed “N.B.”, 1542, lot 210. - Two other plaques depicting the Ecce Homo and the Resurrection, signed “N.B.” and dated 1543, are in the Musée de Cluny. Overall in good condition for its age, slight damage in the lower left corner and lower right corner and a damaged spot near the dove (see images)