Adoration of the Shepherds and Annunciation to the Shepherds from BL Add 54246

Miniature of the Adoration of the Shepherds with the Holy Family and shepherds in a stable, with three putti bearing a scroll inscribed 'Gloria in excelsis deo et in terra pax hominibus' above and the Annunciation to the Shepherds in the background, within a decorative gilded architectural border of putti, caryatids and faces. Image taken from Cutting from a liturgical manuscript.

The Annunciation is a biblical event in which the angel Gabriel appeared to the Virgin Mary to announce that she had been chosen to give birth to Jesus, the Son of God. The event is recorded in the New Testament in the Gospels of Luke and is a central moment in the story of the Nativity of Jesus. The scene typically depicts Mary and Gabriel, who is usually shown holding a lily, a symbol of purity, and announcing the news of the birth of Jesus to Mary.