A 15th century Nottingham alabaster Pietà

A superb 15th century Nottingham alabaster ‘Pietà’ with remains of original (red and green) polychromy. Excellent condition. Most alabaster figures and panels were designed as parts of larger altarpieces, but a carving such as this would have been an individual devotional piece in its own right. Beautiful flowing waves in the draping of the gown of the Virgin and a remarkable detail: Her right foot rests upon a skull (reference to Golgotha).
Despite the popularity of this Lamentation scene, it is quite rare in the surviving English alabaster sculptures (cf. Verschuren, Lynn, 2023, Digital engagement with medieval collections:designing and evaluating the Tears of Our Lady prototype for the Burrell Collection. PhD thesis p. 125).
Francis Cheetham (“English Medieval Alabasters with a catalogue of the collection in the Victoria and Albert Museum p. 56) has inventorized 12 Lamentation panels and only 9 Lamentation figures.
The marvellous Nottingham Lamentation panel in the Princeton University Art Museum (Object number: y1962-79) has the same striking detail of the Virgin holding Her right foot on a skull.
Chipped at the tip of the nose and the right corner of the beard of Jesus. Dimensions (without stand): 22,5x12x6cm.
Old label at the back with provenance: “S.W. Eric, 175 East 62nd Street, New York, NY 10021”