France, 16th Century, Sculpture Of Saint Bridget, H 40 Cm

Sculpture of Saint Bridget of Ireland or Brigitte of Kildare, 16th century, in carved wood and hollowed back.  
The saint is depicted standing, a cow at her feet symbolizing the multiplication of milk and as the patron saint of cowherds, dairies, and cattle. The animal is held by a rope that a young child holds.
It is then a symbolic reference to its role as protector. There are even medieval texts that mystically describe her as 'mother of Christ', or 'other Mary', in a spiritual sense.
As an abbess, she wears the veil and the guimpe and is dressed in a dress with vertical pleats. She holds a pilgrim’s staff in one hand and a book in the other. It is probably the Gospels or a sacred text, symbolizing its monastic role, in the rich context of Irish manuscripts such as the Book of Kells.
Brigitte de Kildare (born in 451 in Ireland), is one of the most famous saints of the Catholic and Orthodox Churches. Renowned for her immense beauty and honored for her dedication, she is part of the Irish Patron Saints. 
Daughter of an Irish clan leader and a Christian enslaved, she was raised in a family of druids before becoming a consecrated virgin.
She is the patroness in many fields, including poetry, knowledge, healing, protection, forging, breeding and dairy production, protector of fertility and breastfeeding and founder of the first double convent.
Legend has it that Saint Brigitte owned a cow. One day, she received the visit of several bishops, without having enough to deal with such respectable hosts. Recommending herself to God, she imagined milking three times in the same day the only cow she had. She drew from it as much milk as three good milking cows would have given.
This sculpture illustrates very well the life of this Saint with its various highly characteristic attributes.

Posterior polychromy.
Dimensions without base: H 40 cm / W 17 cm
Dimensions of the base: H 3 cm / W 14 cm / W 9.5 cm