The First Three Vials of the Apocalypse

The image is divided horizontally into two registers against a gold leaf background. In the upper register, three winged angels with halos wear draped tunics and mantles in pastel blues, yellows, and purples; each holds a conical vessel, tilting them downward to release thin, straight streams of reddish fluid. In the lower register, three human figures in contemporary medieval tunics and cloaks stand on stylized green hills, looking toward the angels with gestures of alarm and contemplation. Beside them, the bottom right shows a body of water—partially purple and partially dark green—containing several fish, representing the sea impacted by the celestial pouring.

This illumination illustrates the opening of the seven vials of God's wrath as described in the Book of Revelation (Chapter 16), specifically the first three judgments affecting the earth and the sea. It is a characteristic example of the Ottonian style of manuscript illumination found in the Bamberg Apocalypse.