Virgin and Child with the Lamb Medal

This 18-karat yellow gold christening medal depicts the Virgin and Child with a lamb: Jesus, nestled in his mother's arms, holds a sleeping lamb close to him, after a painting by Bouguereau.

A Virgin and Child with the Lamb, after Bouguereau

Mary is seen in profile, a long veil resting on her hair and falling to her shoulder; she lowers her eyes towards the Child, nestled in her arms. He looks neither at his mother nor at us: his eyes are lowered on the lamb he holds in both arms, the Agnus Dei, its head resting against his chest. The scene is silent, almost a nap for three. This composition is inspired by The Virgin with a Lamb, a painting made in 1903 by William Bouguereau, a master of French academic painting, who himself conceived it in round format; our sculptor transposed it into relief while keeping what is most tender in the canvas, the quiet recollection of the three figures. The lamb is not a mere companion: it is the Lamb of God, the name John the Baptist gives to Jesus at the banks of the Jordan, on the day of his baptism. The link with the christening medal is therefore direct, and discreet: one can see only a child and his lamb, or read the full meaning of the sacrament. The fleece, the child's skin and the veil are rendered in three distinct textures, giving the medal a richness of relief remarkable for 18 mm.

A christening medal struck in the traditional way in 18-karat gold

Like all our gold medals, the Virgin and Child with the Lamb is made by stamping: the 750/1000 gold blank is struck under an engraved die, for a crisp and lasting relief, then given a satin finish. The gold weight is 2.95 g in 18 mm. Made in France, in our workshop.

Engraving and variations

Offered in 18 mm, the classic size for a christening medal, the one worn for a lifetime. The smooth reverse takes an engraving, first name and date, carried out in the workshop with the engraving package. The Virgin and Child with the Lamb is available in gold and mother-of-pearl, in solid silver and in gold plate, to be worn on an 18-karat yellow gold trace chain.