Large Renaissance Carved Figure of an Apostle

Italian Renaissance painted pine lifesize figure of religious scholar holding book,17th or 18th century.  

Hand-carved in oak, circa 1800, these sculptures depict arguably the most important apostles: James, John, Peter, and Paul. All of the figures are distinctly different, although they share some commonalities, such as they are all barefoot and clad in ankle length tunics on a rectangular base with canted corners. The set would make fantastic decorative art for a mantel, shelf, or sofa table. The apostles as they appear in the main photo (from left to right): St. James (20 ¼” H x 7 ½” W x 5 ½” D): sometimes referred to as “James the Great”, he is depicted with long hair and a full beard above a cloak pinned...

Set of two 16th century oak panels, one representing a character accompanied by a dog, the other a character in flames, probably saints. These ...

This remarkable and very finely carved study of the biblical figure of St Paul, The Apostle who was originally Saul of Tarsus born BCE. Tarsus in Cilicia (now in Turkey). He died circa 62 – 64 CE in Rome, Italy. He was one of the leaders of the first generation Christians and was often considered to be the most important person after Jesus in the history of Christianity. This highly accomplished wood carving is a difficult material for detailing English oak. It shows him standing barefoot and dressed in simple robes with a sword in one hand and a scroll in the other. His face has been well captured with a good expression, detailed hair and a long beard. The small scale of this figure would indicate it was not originally church decoration...

Fine hand carved oak figure of Saint Anthony of Padua Late 18th- Early 19th Century Saint Anthony is depicted with his head raised, mouth ajar, as if in the process of speaking. He stands upright wearing his traditional Franciscan robes and holding open a book. Beautifully carved with high level of detail, unusual for oak pieces. Oak is a dense hardwood which is difficult to carve and it's rare to see this level of detail in an early oak sculpture. Saint Anthony is the Patron Saint of lost things. While living at the monastery, he had a treasured book which contained psalms and personal observations. His book was stolen by a man who decided to leave the monastery and Anthony ferverently prayed for its return as the cost of a new book would have been beyond his means. The thief repented and returned the book which is believed to be preserved at the Franciscan Library in Bologna. He is one of the most popular Catholic saints...

Pair of polychrome wood sculptures. "San Juan and San Pablo". Castilian school, 16th century. Both male figures have been represented standing, with their main iconographic attrib...