Carved Oak Bearer Figure – Torchère – 16th Century

Oak sculpture representing a standing male figure, dressed in a long belted tunic. The man holds in his arms a large, flared, cup-shaped container intended to hold a candle. This is a light-bearer figure (torchère), typical of religious furniture from the late Middle Ages and the Renaissance. Work from Northern Europe (France / Flanders / Germany), characterized by its material (oak), its powerful volumes and the stylization of the face. This type of bearer often accompanied an altarpiece, a choir enclosure or a liturgical ensemble. 16th century 37 cm high Old dark patina, wear of time, small cracks and losses; old metal attachment on the reverse. At the base, there is a metal tube which was intended to hold the statue on a set.