A Unique Work of Art
The statue of the Infant Jesus of Prague is 47 centimeters tall. It has a wooden core, but is otherwise modeled in colored wax. It comes from Spain and its author is unknown. It is a unique and exceptionally accomplished work of art, which is also an icon with a very powerful spiritual message.
The statue of the Infant Jesus of Prague portrays Jesus as a child about four to five years old. Its face bears a distinctive expression that no copy has ever been able to reproduce exactly. In the features of the face and in the curly hair, which originally had a dark color, Moorish traits can be observed, corresponding to the statue’s Spanish origin. The statue was probably composed of several different parts and has been repaired several times in the past.
The Child Jesus is dressed in a long tunic, beneath which His bare feet can be seen. In His left hand He holds the royal symbol of dominion over the world — the imperial orb topped with a cross — while with His right hand, in which kings usually hold a scepter as a symbol of power, the Infant Jesus gives His blessing. The statue is clothed in royal garments and in the past was adorned with precious jewels donated by the faithful. The most valuable jewel was a now-lost copy of the Order of the Golden Fleece.
The head of the Infant Jesus is adorned with a historic crown. The crown in not placed directly on the statue, instead it is attached separately just above the Infant Jesus.
People know the Infant Jesus of Prague primarily in His festive garments. The dressing of the Infant Jesus emphasizes His humanity — just as parents dress their child, so too is the statue clothed. At the same time, however, the garments point to His royal majesty and thus suggest His divinity.
Like a priest at the altar, the Infant Jesus is dressed in the colours of the liturgical season according to the church calendar. Generally, four basic colours are used:
Red: The colour of blood and fire – for Holy week and Pentecost
Green: The colour of life and hope – for ordinary time (the most common colour)
White: The colour of glory, purity, and holiness – for celebrations, Christmas and Easter
Purple: The colour of penance – for Lent and Advent
On exceptional occasions, additional, less common colors are also used.
Royal vestments: red garments with an ermine mantle — used for the Feast of the Coronation
Pink: the colour of muted joy – can be used for the third Advent Sunday and the fourth Sunday in Lent
Blue: for Marian feasts, most often for the Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel
Golden: a festive color — may replace other colors
The wardrobe of the Infant Jesus of Prague contains around three hundred garments, although not all of them are usable. Most of the vestments are gifts from people all over the world, offered as a sign of devotion or gratitude. Part of this wardrobe can be viewed in the publicly accessible museum. The task of dressing the Infant Jesus is entrusted to the Carmelite Sisters of the Infant Jesus.
The first layer of clothing is the under-gown – alb. It is a white linen gown with openings for the arms or short sleeves. Sometimes it is decorated with simple embroidery or lace. The under-gown is put on over the head and fastened at the back with buttons or ties.
Over the alb a coloured gown is put on. Its design resembles a child’s gown and it is also fastened at the back. The front of this gown is richly decorated often with motifs drawn from Christian symbolism. The lower edge is usually finished with lace or another type of decorative trim.
The top layer is a cloak, matching the gown in colour and pattern. The left side falls freely over the shoulder, while the front right side is folded over the blessing arm so that the lower part of the cloak becomes visible. Decorated fabric is usually used on the left front side and on the right part of the reverse. Some cloaks, however, are draped over the shoulders without folding, so the pattern appears only on the outer part, while the reverse side is lined. The decoration is concentrated on the upper side sections. The edges of the cloak are usually ornamented in a similar way to the gown.
Finally, ruffs are placed on the wrists and around the neck if they are not part of the under-gown, lace is usually used for these as well. The imperial orb is placed in the Infant Jesus’ left hand and the crown is positioned over his head.
Navrch se obléká pláštík, který se barvou i vzorem shoduje s košilkou. Levá strana splývá volně přes rameno, zatímco pravá přední strana je nad žehnající rukou přeložena, čímž se stává viditelnou spodní část pláštíku. Zdobená tkanina bývá použita v levé části na líci, v pravé části na rubu. Některé pláštíky se však přehazují přes ramena bez překládání, takže vzor je jen na vrchní straně. Rub tvoří podšívka. Výzdoba se soustřeďuje na vrchní postranní díly. Okraje pláštíku bývají zdobeny podobně jako spodní okraj košilky.
Na závěr se na ruce a na krk navlékají okruží, pokud nejsou součástí košilky. Také na okruží jsou většinou použity krajky. Do levé dlaně se Ježíškovi vkládá královské jablko a nad hlavou má připevněnou korunu.
