St. Raphael the Archangel (detail; M 017) Ceramic Ornament

In this detail from Three Archangels and Tobias by Francesco Botticini (1446-1498), a minor master of the Early Italian Renaissance, the fabrics and ornamentation are rendered with great attention to detail. Here, St. Raphael wears an openwork halo, a blue robe, and a red and gold brocade mantle with a green velvet lining. His wings made of peacock feathers, in particular, are remarkable. In Christian iconography, the peacock is a symbol of watchfulness, incorruptibility, and immortality. + Feast: September 29 + Image Credit (M 017): Detail of Three Archangels and Tobias, by Francesco Botticini (1446-1498), tempera on panel, 60 5/8” x 53 1/8” (154cm x 135cm), Florentine Italian, ca. 1470, Uffizi Gallery, Florence, Italy. {{PD-Art|PD-old-100}}. From an antique Stengel postcard in the designer’s private collection.