- 5
Southern French, late 12th/ 13th century
Estimate
8,000 - 12,000 GBP
bidding is closed
Description
- Virgin and Child, or Sedes Sapientiae
- limestone
- Southern French, late 12th/ 13th century
Provenance
Sotheby's London, 21 April 1988, lot 28
Condition
The surface is weathered throughout and shows some remnants of organic encrustations. There are a number of losses, including the rear bottom right corner of the throne; the front right armrest of the throne; Christ's nose, proper left index finger and the tip of His middle finger, and much of His feet and proper right hand; there are smaller losses to the Virgin's proper left hand and to the proper left side and finials of her coronet. There are small losses to the gesso-type ground throughout, including to the Virgin's chin and forehead. There are minor losses to the drapery at the back of the Virgin. Also to the back there is a large square mount hole low down and a filled square mount hole above.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."
Catalogue Note
The Sedes Sapientiae (Throne of Wisdom) was at the centre of 12th- and 13th-century church liturgy. Few examples in stone survive and even fewer are this scale. A smaller statue in the Louvre (inv. no. RF1677) from the Île-de-France repeats many of the motifs seen in the present group, including the elaborately decorated crown and the morse at the neck of the Virgin. The elongation of the figures, on the other hand, is typical of Southern French and Spanish Romanesque sculpture.
RELATED LITERATURE
F. Baron (ed.), Sculpture française. I. Moyen âge, cat. Musée du Louvre, Paris, 1996, p. 70, no. RF 1677; J.R. Gaborit, La sculpture Romane, Paris, 2010, pp. 294-298
RELATED LITERATURE
F. Baron (ed.), Sculpture française. I. Moyen âge, cat. Musée du Louvre, Paris, 1996, p. 70, no. RF 1677; J.R. Gaborit, La sculpture Romane, Paris, 2010, pp. 294-298