Lot number 3 - Auction 165
BÜSTE EINES HEILIGEN BISCHOFS

BUST OF A SAINTLY BISHOP France, early 15th century Limestone, sculpted in the round, polychromed, with traces of old gilding. H. 44, W. 37, D. 22 cm, weight approx. 22.5 kg. A rare late Gothic bust of a holy bishop, distinguished by its finely modeled physiognomy and stately clerical vestments. Particularly noteworthy is the richly decorated collar with relief quatrefoil medallions, whose portrait depictions reflect the highly developed ornamentation of International Gothic. The preserved remnants of the original gilding and polychromy attest to the high-quality craftsmanship and the rare iconographic design of French religious sculpture at the turn of the 14th to the 15th century. Condition: good, with some minor losses. Provenance: Acquired at Lempertz, Cologne, Auction 564, June 1978.