Lot number 3110 - Auction 160
MONUMENTALE STADTHEILIGE ('CIVITAS')

MONUMENTAL CITY SAINT ('CIVITAS') South German, second half of the 16th century. Linden wood, carved in the round, polychrome finish; body and armor studded with nails. H. approx. 192 cm, W. 62 cm, D. 23 cm. A monumental female allegory representing a city or city patroness. She wears a crenellated mural crown (*corona muralis*) on her head-a traditional symbol of the *civitas*. Her right hand holds a lowered sword, symbolizing defensive strength and judicial authority, while her left holds a curved heraldic shield. The base features a relief carving of a cityscape, including gateway and gable architecture. This older sculpture acquired special cultural-historical significance through its later use as a "war nail figure" (*Kriegsnagelfigur*) during World War I (c. 1914-1918); the drapery, shield, and other areas are densely studded with numerous metal nails. Such nail figures-or wartime commemorative monuments-were used in public fundraising campaigns during the war, where donors drove nails into designated figures in exchange for monetary contributions. Shows some wear and damage, including abrasion of the gilding, losses to the polychromy, and shrinkage cracks.