Virgin and Child, anonymous, c. 1250 - c. 1260
oak with remnants of polychromy and gilding, h 81.5cm × w 29.5cm × d 26.2cm Catalogue entry
The Virgin sits with the Christ Child on her lap. Not only is she the mother of Jesus, here she is also the sedes sapientiae (seat of wisdom) – thus the throne on which is seated Christ, who represents divine wisdom. Together with the crucified Christ, this was one of the earliest subjects of free-standing sculpture in the Middle Ages.
