Palmesel: Palm Sunday

Date: 15th century
Geography: Made in Franconia, Germany
Culture: German
Medium: Limewood with paint
Dimensions: Overall (w/ base): 61 1/2 x 23 3/4 x 54 1/2 in., 182lb. (156.2 x 60.3 x 138.4 cm, 82554.7g)
Classification: Sculpture-Wood
Credit Line: The Cloisters Collection, 1955

The German word Palmesel (palm donkey) refers to the statue of Jesus on a donkey, mounted on a wheeled platform, which was part of Palm Sunday processions in many German-speaking regions until the Reformation. These processions, which reenacted Christ’s entry into Jerusalem mounted on a donkey, were lively pageants in which hymns were sung, palms strewn, and clothes spread on the ground before the Palmesel. The figure of Jesus retains, in contrast, an air of quiet majesty.
The donkey’s hooves and the fingers on Christ’s hands are restored; the platform and wheels are modern. [Source]