Prayer nut

Rosary bead (WB 236), British Museum

Prayer nuts or Prayer beads (Dutch: Gebedsnoot) are very small 16th century Gothic boxwood miniature sculptures, mostly originating from the north of today's Holland. They are typically detachable and open into halves of highly detailed and intricate Christian religious scenes. Their size varies between the size of a walnut and a golf ball. They are mostly the same shape, decorated with carved openwork Gothic tracery and flower heads.[1] Most are 2–5 cm in diameter and designed so they could be held in the palm of a hand during personal devotion or hung from necklaces or belts as fashionable accessories.

Prayer nuts often contain central scenes depicting episodes from the life of Mary or the Passion of Jesus.[2] Some are single beads; more rare examples consist of up to eleven beads, including the "Chatsworth Rosary" gifted by Henry VIII to Catherine of Aragon,[3] which is one of only two surviving boxwood rosaries.[4] The figures are often dressed in fashionable contemporary clothing. The level of detail extends to the figure's shields, jacket buttons, and jewellery.[5] In some instances, they contain carved inscriptions usually related to the meaning of the narrative.[6][7]

  1. ^ Braimbridge, Mark. "The Waddesdon Bequest At The British Museum Part 1". Topiarius, Volume 14, Summer 2010. pp. 15–17. Retrieved 25 February 2017
  2. ^ Ellis; Suda (2016), p. 80
  3. ^ Ellis; Suda (2016), p. 77
  4. ^ Drake Boehm, Barbara; Suda, Alexandra. "Gothic Boxwood Miniatures and Private Prayer". Art Gallery of Ontario. Retrieved 30 November 2018
  5. ^ Ellis; Suda (2016), p. 50
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference t162 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ Ellis; Suda (2016), pp. 78–79