Agnus Dei of Benedict XIII.

Agnus Dei of Benedict XIII.
Wax.
It has frame of the eighteenth century.
Measurements: 15 cm (diameter); 31 x 23 cm (frame).
The Agnus Dei are wax medallions that present, on one side, the image of the Lamb of God, and on the reverse, the figure of a saint. Their blessing during the celebration of Easter is a custom of great antiquity. There are liturgical references dating back to the 7th century, and archaeological finds corroborate its earlier use: in 1544, when the tomb of the Empress Mary, wife of Emperor Honorius and daughter of General Stilicho, who died before the middle of the 5th century, was opened in Rome, one of these wax discs was found.
It has been suggested that this tradition may have arisen as a commemorative gesture for the baptism of neophytes, at a time when that sacrament ceased to be celebrated exclusively on Easter festivals. In fact, there is evidence to indicate that the Pope gave an Agnus Dei to each newly baptized person on Holy Saturday. This, together with the finding of the copy in the imperial tomb, allows us to deduce that both the blessing of the Agnus Dei and the solemn administration of baptism coexisted as rituals during a certain period.
The wax used for the elaboration of these sacred objects came in part from the paschal candle of the previous year, supplemented with fresh wax, and was traditionally mixed with the Holy Chrism, which gave it an even more symbolic character. During the Middle Ages, the preparation of the wax and the printing of the religious images was entrusted to the subdeacons and acolytes of the papal palace. Today, this work is carried out by the Cistercian monks of the monastery of San Bernardo in Rome.