Jacopo Torriti, The Adoration of the Magi

13th century
Mosaic
Apse, Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, Rome

This mosaic continues the ancient tradition of picturing Mary and the child on a throne for the reception of the Magi's gifts (Matthew 2:1-12). A more recent practice that became common in the 13th century was the distribution of the three Magi among the three ages of man.

The cloths covering the hands of the two younger magi are also seen in a Croatian sculpture of the same century. They resemble the cloth often seen on Simeon's hands in Presentation in the Temple images.

The star that led the magi is pictured in the hand of the angel above.

View the whole apse.
Read more about images of the Magi

Photographed at the basilica by Richard Stracke, shared under Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike license.