{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O1443575"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O1443575/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2019LH6668/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2019LH6668/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2019LH6668","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O1443575/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O1443575","accessionNumber":"E.493-2018","objectType":"Print","titles":[],"summaryDescription":"In art history, a black madonna is a painting or sculpture depicting the Virgin Mary with dark or black skin, created in Europe in the late Medieval period. Some are made of dark or black materials such as ebony, others are said to have become blackened from the soot of candles, although this explanation and the significance of the Virgin's skin colour is contested. There are several hundred black madonnas in Europe and the topic has attracted a considerable literature in recent decades approaching the subject from anthropological, art historical, feminist, psychoanalytical and Afrocentric  perspectives.\r\n\r\nThe Abbey of Einsiedeln is a Benedictine monastery dedicated to Our Lady of the Hermits and located in the village of Einsiedeln twenty miles southeast of Zurich. According to 9th and 14th-century sources, the hermit St Meinrad (d. 861) was especially devoted to the Virgin and was given a miracle-working statue of the Virgin and Child by Abbess Hildegard of Zurich around which he built a chapel. Following his murder, a church was built over this chapel. The new church was dedicated but not the chapel. In 948 Conrad of Constance was praying in the chapel when he witnessed Christ and the  angels performing the dedication rites. A papal bull of 11th November 966 allowed the celebration of the anniversary of this miracle and granted remission of sins to pilgrims to the shrine. This holy card would have been published for sale to pilgrims as a souvenir of the shrine. ","physicalDescription":"Rectangular card with shaped lace-paper edge. Front: black & white printed illustration of Our Lady of Einsiedeln above a view of Einsiedeln Abbey, against a yellow background within a keyhole shape, lettered within the image SANCTA MARIA EISIEDELNSIS, lace-paper border with piercing, embossing  and gilding. Back: lettered with prayer in French, the name of publisher, and the word <i>Souvenir</i>, printed in black.","artistMakerPerson":[],"artistMakerOrganisations":[{"name":{"text":"Kälin-Weidmann","id":"AUTH333620"},"association":{"text":"Printer and publisher","id":"x35446"},"note":""}],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"paper","id":"x30308"},{"text":"ink","id":"AAT15012"},{"text":"gold","id":"x34868"}],"techniques":[{"text":"lithography","id":"AAT53271"},{"text":"embossing","id":"AAT53826"},{"text":"gilding","id":"AAT53789"},{"text":"piercing","id":"AAT231153"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Lithography, embossing, gilding and piercing","categories":[{"text":"Prints","id":"THES48903"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"PDP","id":"THES48595"},"images":["2019LH6668"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"LVLF","id":"THES49656"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":"Black Madonna Topic Box"}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Prints","id":"AAT41273"}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Einsiedeln","id":"x46820"},"association":{"text":"Printed and published","id":"x35383"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1870-1890","earliest":"1870-01-01","latest":"1890-12-31"},"association":{"text":"Printed and published","id":"x35383"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Given by Tim Travis in memory of Leslie Travis","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"10.2","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"6.8","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"St<sup>a </sup>Maria Einsiedelnsis","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"Lettered in black, within a scroll banner within the design"}],"objectHistory":"","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Souvenir of Our Lady of Einsiedeln, Switzerland, late 19th century.","bibliographicReferences":[],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"Mass produced","id":"THES48863"},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[{"text":"Einsiedeln","id":"x46820"}],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[{"text":"Jesus Christ","id":"N1515"},{"text":"The Virgin Mary","id":"N16161"}],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[{"text":"Abbeys","id":"AAT642"},{"text":"Black Madonnas","id":"THES282271"}],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["E.493-2018"],"accessionNumberNum":"493","accessionNumberPrefix":"E","accessionYear":2018,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-04-17","recordCreationDate":"2018-06-20","availableToBook":false}}