According to legend, suitors for the hand of the Virgin presented rods at the temple in Jerusalem; she was to marry the suitor whose rod flowered; here Joseph's has blossomed as a dove. The Virgin's parents Joachim & Anne in the background are identified by their haloes. The panel was flanked by the ' Presentation of the Virgin' & the ' Coronation of the Virgin' to form a triptych. The frame is original. The back has a punched & painted diamond design, typical of a folding altarpiece, such as a triptych. The position of the signature suggests that this was the central panel.