Alabaster panel depicting St James the Great. English, 15th century.

The bearded saint stands with his head inclined to the left. He is dressed as a pilgrim, his hat with its upturned brim resting on his right shoulder. He holds a closed book in his left hand and a staff in his right. A purse with three tassels hangs at his left side below his cloak. He is bare-footed. He wears a robe ornamented at the bottom with two whelk shells, and a cloak draped over his shoulders.

A bad horizontal break across the middle of the panel has been repaired and part of the carving restored. The saint's hat, book and staff have been damaged, and his right hand is missing. The top corners of the panel are missing.

There are traces of gilding on the saint's robe and on his hair and beard. There is some red on the folds of his cloak. The strap of his hat is painted green; the hat itself is green and brown. There are traces of the usual green ground with the daisy pattern at the bottom of the panel. The panel has been completely backed with plaster.

Given by Dr W. L. Hildburgh FSA

Acquired by Fr W. L. Hildburgh in Paris. On loan from him since 1923. Given by Dr Hildburgh in 1946.

The bearded Saint James, the apostle and brother of St John the Evangelist, stands with his head inclined to the left. He is dressed as a pilgrim and his hat with its upturned brim rests on his right shoulder. He holds a closed books in his left hand and a staff in his right. He wears a robe ornamented at the bottom with two whelk shellds and a cloak draped over his shoulder.

The shell, usually a scallop, became recognized in the Middle Ages as the symbol of the pilgrimage to the cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in northwest Spain. Later the shell became a symbol of pilgrimages in general.

A.46-1946