Saint Bishop – Circa 1500

A depiction of a bishop, possibly Saint Donatus, from southern Germany dating from thevery early 16th century.
Carved from linden wood, polychrome and gilded, itsback is hollowed out. A cavity was created to house a relic of the saint. Ittherefore contains a relic—added at a later date—from the bones of Saint Donatus, along withits certificate dated 1827.
Donatus, of noble Roman birth, was bishop of Arezzo and was martyred in 360. The relics of our holy man, enclosed in a pouch, are displayed in a case bearingan episcopal wax seal.
A high-quality depiction in the late Gothic style.
The figure is dressed in solemn pontifical vestments, with a miter and a crosier, and holds a book in hisleft hand. The balanced posture, the carefully modeled facial features, and the deep, richly animated folds of the robe are characteristic of German statuary from the 1500s.
Condition: on the reverse, old signs of woodworm damage; the shaft of the episcopal crozier has been repaired; loss of material.
Dimensions: 102 cm high, 33 cm wide, and 20 cm deep.
Reference 895