Where were these statues originally placed?

These figures stood in churches, monastic chapels, and private domestic shrines for prayer and contemplation. Many formed parts of larger altarpieces or architectural niches. Smaller examples served personal devotion in homes or travelled with itinerant clerics.

How do I care for wooden statues?

Keep wooden and polychrome sculptures away from direct sunlight and sudden temperature shifts. Stable indoor humidity prevents the timber from splitting. Dust gently with a dry, soft brush and avoid using liquid cleaners on painted or gilded surfaces.

How can I tell the period?

Examine the tool marks, wood selection, and style of the drapery folds. Earlier pieces often display deeper, heavier carving with traces of medieval or renaissance dress. Nineteenth-century revival pieces tend to use standardised proportions and cleaner joins compared to older work.

Did these statues have paint originally?

Most continental religious figures were painted and gilded when new to enhance their lifelike appearance. Pigments over gesso brought robes and faces to life in dimly lit churches. Over the centuries, some pieces lost their paint through wear or stripping, leaving bare wood.