Bust of a Bishop Saint,

15th–16th century

This bust-length figure of a bishop saint may have been part of a large, polychromed wooden altarpiece or could have functioned as an independent work. It reflects the style of Southern German sculpture from the circle of Tilman Riemenschneider (German, ca. 1460–1531). It was originally painted, as is evident from the channels made by woodworms, which can be seen running parallel to the surface of the sculpture; the woodworms made their tunnels beneath the ground layer for the paint. The color on this sculpture was probably removed fairly recently, as in the nineteenth century, collectors preferred to stain stripped sculptures to achieve a darker color of wood.