Saint Barbara , Polychrome Wood Circa 1500

Polychrome oak sculpture depicting Saint Barbara and her tower. The saint is standing on the right of the tower, her left hand holding her cloak, her long, wavy hair covering her shoulders. Her closed mouth is slightly grimacing on her left, and her nose accentuates her sadness. Her attitude reflects the martyrdom of her confinement and solitude in the face of isolation. Two beak pleats and a wavy pleat are visible on her coat. The notch in the collar is covered with precious stones and pearls, a sign of sculptural wealth. The shoes are flat with pointed ends. The base and intermediate level of the tower are of cut-plan architecture. The roof of the tower is covered with flat tiles with rounded edges, also known as "tuile à écaille", a type of tile found on Comtois bell tower roofs.
France, Franche- Comté/Bourgogne, late 15th century