16th-Century Sculpture of Saint Catherine

A very beautiful polychrome Renaissance sculpture, carved in the round, depicting Saint Catherine of Alexandria.

Here we find the iconographic attributes of the Saint, including her royal robes and crown, the cogwheel of her torture, the book, illustrating her erudition, and the sword with which she was ultimately beheaded.
The sculptor has adorned the elegant drapery she wears with beautiful polychromy, thus revealing her noble rank.
The elongated face, framed by long, wavy hair, gently expresses all the courage and determination of the Saint in her Christian faith.

The beauty of the hair, the realism of the face, and the noble pose suggest that this Saint Catherine is a French work dating from the 16th century.

Dimensions: H. 63 cm x W. 20 cm x D. 12 cm

France
Original polychromy
16th century
(retouched with the sword and on the wheel)

Our little tidbit
Known through the Golden Legend by Jacobus de Voragine, Catherine was born in 294 into a noble family in Alexandria, Egypt. She quickly acquired knowledge that placed her on par with the greatest poets and philosophers of her time.
Daughter of Constus, the governor of Alexandria in Egypt, during the reign of Emperor Maximian, Saint Catherine's real name was Catherine of Alexandria.

A highly cultured woman, Catherine of Alexandria, after having a dream of Jesus Christ, decided to dedicate her life to him and considered herself his bride.

She attempted to convert Emperor Maximian to Christianity. Knowing Catherine was highly learned, the emperor decided to test her before fifty scholars, but her intelligence allowed him to convince and convert them. Enraged, Emperor Maximian had all the scholars executed. However, captivated by Catherine's knowledge and intelligence, he proposed marriage. Catherine refused. Humiliated, Maximian had Catherine tortured with a wheel studded with sharp spikes. Miraculously, the spikes broke upon contact with Catherine's skin. The emperor then had her beheaded.
In the past, statues of Saint Catherine in churches were adorned with a headdress that was renewed annually. This was the privilege of young women over 25 who were still single. Thus, the expression "she's going to crown Saint Catherine" meant that the young woman in question had not yet found a husband. Currently, in some regions, on November 25th, one might encounter young women of 25, still single, wearing ornate and multicolored hats (sometimes predominantly green and yellow) made for the occasion. They are called Catherinettes.
Saint Catherine is invoked against migraines by breastfeeding women, and to protect against shipwrecks. She is also the patron saint of barbers, wheelwrights, ropemakers, drapers, schoolchildren and students, wool spinners, millers, notaries, wet nurses, orators, philosophers, plumbers, potters, preachers, knife grinders, tailors, theologians, and wood turners.