Statuette, the Virgin and Child, carved, painted and gilded walnut, Belgium (Mechelen), ca. 1500-1520

The Virgin is shown standing, holding Christ with both arms towards her right side. Her long hair is gilded and she wears a circlet, with four holes indicating that there were orginally decorative metal crockets, in gilt tin or lead (see Williamson 2002). She wears a red gown with a blue lining. Her mantle is gilded, with the remains of punched and incised border decoration on the hem and sleeves. She stands on a green base. The Christ Child wears a long gold tunic with a neckline decorated in red, and holds a large pear.
The surface condition is not very good: the faces in particular have lost much of their original paint, revealing the white ground. Conservation treatment in 1973 consolidated the polychrome, and retouched areas of loss. The polychrome of the blue underside of the Virgin's garmet, and the green base, is fragmentary. The hem of the Virgin's mantle has faint traces of two letters in red (MA?), and small areas of blue patterning elsewhere. The figure in general is relatively flat in profile.
The reverse is roughly worked, and unpainted (as is usual for Malines figures). There is an indistinct Malines mark in the middle, at the height of the Virgin's elbows.
There are three holes on the underside (one large and two small, one of which still contains a nail), presumably to attach a separate wooden socle.
The base has been broken away on the left (including the Virgin's foot) and far right-hand side, there are extensive woodworm holes, and Christ's face is much rubbed.

Bought from Lionel Harris and Co, Conduit Street, London, in 1907 for £8.

Typical example of Malines figure sculpture, in its scale, positioning of the figures, carving style, Malines mark and subject matter. It is very similar to 637-1897, but with slightly different poses for the figures and in worse condition.

Here the Virgin Mary holds the Christ Child in both arms. The circlet on her head has five small drilled holes on its upper edge. These originally held carved decoration. The Christ Child wears a long gold tunic and holds a large pear in his hands. The Virgin's robe is red and her mantle is gilded. Elsewhere there are remains of decoration.This includes punched and incised decoration around a small part of the hem of the Virgin's mantle. Here there are also faint traces of two letters in red (possibly MA).

This statuette is in many ways typical of sculpture made in Malines (Mechelen, Belgium). However, the pose of the Christ Child is slightly different from most Maline's examples and the Virgin Mary has a slightly more doll-like face.

697-1907