16th Small Renaissance Florentine Lead Sculpture

A small, refined lead sculpture from the Renaissance period, Italy, Florence, 16th century.
It depicts a young woman, richly dressed, holding the palm of martyrdom and with one hand on her heart: the iconography suggests that she may be Saint Agatha, who was put to death during the persecution of Christians ordered by Emperor Decius (249–251) in Catania, for never having renounced her Christian faith. Of noble origins, she is depicted in sumptuous garments, holding the palm of martyrdom and, often, with a hand on her heart—a symbol of her devotion but also of her martyrdom itself, the removal of both breasts.
It was precisely in the 16th century that the Church of Sant'Agata on Via San Gallo in Florence was renovated and reconsecrated, and this may have sparked the demand for devotional statuettes. Florentine workshops, particularly goldsmiths’ workshops, used lead to create small sculptures or detailed models.

Dimensions
Lead height: 15.5 cm
Total height: 18 cm
Plexiglass base: 10 x 10 cm

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