Infant Jesus holding the globus cruciger - Malines school, 16th century

MALINES SCHOOL
Late 16th century
“Infant Jesus holding the globus cruciger and a flower”
Sculpted in walnut
Dimensions: 28 cm

In the mid-15th century, workshops in Mechelen (Malines, in present-day Belgium) began producing small wooden statuettes representing male and female saints, and the Infant Jesus, nude and standing on a socle. These figures, often called Mechelen dolls or ‘poupées de Malines’, were often carved by members of the Guild of Saint Luke, sometimes in collaboration with other workshops in nearby Brussels. The Infant Jesus proved particularly popular with convents in the region.

The statuettes were usually made of walnut, often carved from a single block of wood and richly polychromed or even gilded. They were typically between 26 and 38 centimetres tall. Because they were produced in large quantities, they were relatively affordable, which made them extremely popular not only in the Low Countries but also throughout Europe, especially in Spain and Portugal. By the first quarter of the 16th century, the dolls could be found everywhere throughout Europe. According to tradition, even the explorer Ferdinand Magellan carried a Mechelen doll during his world voyage (1519–1521).

Many of these figures were used for private devotion, particularly in beguinages and convents. The Beguines dressed the dolls in delicate textiles, sometimes with gold or silver embroidery, and placed them on altars or in small devotional environments known as ‘Enclosed Gardens’: miniature altarpieces combining sculpture, embroidery, and natural materials. During Christmas, the Christ Child figure was often displayed in a small decorated cradle.
Each Mechelen doll had to meet strict artistic standards, often including the visible “M” shape referring to the city of Mechelen. These devotional figures embodied both religious symbolism and the artistic refinement of late Gothic craftsmanship in the Southern Netherlands. The figures, all individual figures, were made from reference models using highly regulated carving and polychrome techniques.