English Oak Sculpture of St Peter in full Papal Regalia, Wolverhampton, Circa 1420

THE RARITY OF EARLY ENGLISH DEVOTIONAL SCULPTURE PRIOR TO THE REFORMATION OF THE TUDOR PERIOD CANNOT BE OVER EXAGERATED. DURING THE PERIOD BETWEEN 1530-1640 NEARLY ALL DEVOTIONAL SCULPTURE AND WORKS OF ART WERE DESTROYED EITHER BY LARGE SCALE BONFIRES IN NEARLY EVERY TOWN AND CITY THROUGHOUT THE LAND OR SMASHED TO SMITHEREENS. TODAY MOST CHURCHES AND OTHER SACRED SITES ARE ALMOST EMPTY OF THEIR TREASURES SAVE FOR A SMALL HANDFUL OF CHANCE SURVIVORS.

THIS MAGNIFICENT AND IMPOSING ENGLISH EARLY 15TH CENTURY OAK SCULPTURE OF ST PETER IN FULL PAPAL REGALIA WAS DISCOVERED IN THE EARLY 1980S IN THE NOW DEFUNCT PUBLIC HOUSE ADJACENT TO GIFFARD HOUSE. NORTH ST, WOLVERHAMPTON WHERE IT WAS USED AS A TRADE SIGN. CARVED FROM A SINGLE PIECE OF HEAVY DARK BROWN ENGLISH OAK. HIS HEAD IS ADORNED WITH A MAGNIFICENTLY CARVED PAPAL CROWN, HIS HAIR AND BEARD CARVED WITH INTRICATE CURLS AND WAVES, HIS GOWN BEAUTIFULLY DECORATED WITH TASSELS AND CARVED FLOWER AND SCROLL DECORATION.

ARMS NOW LOST.

A STUNNING AND EXTREMELY RARE SURVIVOR OF ENGLISH PRE-REFORMATION SCULPTURE AND PROBABLY ONE OF THE FINEST EXAMPLES AVAILABLE.

PROVENANCE- FROM AN IMPORTANT PRIVATE COLLECTION.

DOCUMENTED AND ILLUSTRATED ON THE WEBSITE- INVISIBLESAINTSMYPARISH.ORG. THIS IS A COMMUNITY DRIVEN WEB BASED PROJECT TO LOCATE, DIGITALLY RECORD AND DOCUMENT THE LONG LOST MEDIEVAL DEVOTIONAL WOOD SCULPTURES OF THE BRITISH ISLES. THE ULTIMATE AIM OF THIS WEB SITE IS TO BRING THESE WORKS OF ART TO LIGHT, NOT ONLY FOR THEIR DOCUMENTATION PURPOSES BUT ALSO FOR FUTURE SCHOLARS, THE WEBSITE WAS COMPILED BY THE WARWICK ARTS DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY.


STOCK NO 1704.

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This object is eligible for a Certificate of BADA Provenance

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