The Annunciation, plate from Giulio Aleni's 'Tianzhu jiangsheng zhuxiang jingjie' (An Illustrated History of the Lord of Heaven Who Became Incarnate in the Flesh), Jinjiang Church, Fujian Province, China, 1637, Unknown Chinese; Artist: after Jérôme Nadal; Publisher: Giulio Aleni, 6 5/8 x 5 7/16 in. (16.83 x 13.81 cm) (image), Woodcut, China, 17th century, These illustrations, one time accompanied by Chinese text, are based on Jerome Nadal's Images from the Gospels (Antwerp, 1593), a sumptuously illustrated Latin treatise produced at the instigation of Saint Ignatius Loyola. The images are emblems, with key elements notated and explained in turn. For example, A represents God's declaration of Christ's incarnation, and B shows the angel Gabriel delivering the news to Mary. At the far right, D marks Mary's house in Loreto, which became a pilgrimage site promoted by the Jesuits. (According to legend, angels carried Mary's house from Nazareth to the Italian town of Loreto in 1291.) Creation