Medal

It depicts the Virgin of the Tabernacle half-length, with her hands together. In this piece, the meticulous production of the imperial crown and the handles that ornament the effigy stand out. On the base there is a cherub's head with its wings spread out. The frame that covers the whole is characterised by an irregular and asymmetrical perimeter. It is made of rocailles, one of the most characteristic decorative motifs of the Baroque period. Its back is smooth, and on it are preserved some engraved capital letters, remains of what must have been the name of the dedication, written in an abbreviated and crude form, as it appears in other medals. \Among the ornaments that embellish this effigy stands out a band or necklace of shoulders, arranged in a semicircle on the mantle. This is not the first time that this jewel appears on medals, but it is, perhaps, one of the occasions in which its shape is more clearly visible. It is quite possible that it is a gift from Mariana of Austria to the patron saint of Toledo, perhaps made when the widow of Philip IV settled in the city of the Tagus in 1677. According to Moreno Nieto, among the jewels offered was a band made up of thirty-one enameled gold links joined with thirty gold bracelets, all of which were also adorned with innumerable precious stones. Except for this reference, we have not found, for the moment, any other news in relation to the matter. It seems evident, however, that this necklace was only used when the Virgin of the Tabernacle was presented without the Child Jesus.