English, Nottingham, 15th century

with two partially legible old paper labels to the reverse respectively inscribed: Trouve dans l'Eglise de ...amire à / S^t Aubert ... / de ... ou ... 700 Sous ... puis / ... de France [?] and M^me LEPOUTRE / M^lle A... Ginêts

Overall the condition of the alabaster is good considering the age of the piece. There is dirt and wear to the surface consistent with age. There is wear to the polychromy throughout. There are several losses, notably the top right corner of the relief, the right arm of the crucifix staff (the top arm is detached), the tip of the Saint's nose, the front tip of the hat, and a fold of drapery on the proper right side near the floor. The proper right little finger is lost. There are smaller chips and losses, including to the edges.
"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."

There is a paper label to the reverse of the present relief identifying the figure as St. Aubert, the Bishop of Avranches in Normandy. Although it is unlikely that an English alabaster carver would represent a French Bishop, it is clear that the figure is indeed a Bishop Saint, and so it is remains a possibilty that the present figure could be Aubert.

In 708, Aubert had a vision in which the Archangel Michael appeared to him and instructed him to build a shrine on Mount Tombe (known today as Mont Saint-Michel), a rocky islet off the coast of Normandy, long venerated as a holy place. Aubert at first doubted that this was the word of God, and the Archangel had to visit him on a further two occasions to pursuade him to build the shrine, at one point burning his finger into the saint's skull. The oratory was finally consecrated on 16 October 709. The present Romanesque abbey church was built by William of Volpiano in the 11th century.

The present relief, together with additional panels of standing saints, would have formed a slender rhythmical counterpart to the larger narrative panels on an elaborate altarpiece, such as that in the Hôtel de Ville, Compiègne (Cheetham 1984, op. cit. p. 23, fig. 12). There is, in fact, a Nottingham alabaster altarpiece in the abbey of Mont Saint-Michel, which is thought to come from the nearby church of St. Leger (Cheetham 2003, op. cit. p. 172, no. 14).

RELATED LITERATURE
F. Cheetham, English Medieval alabasters, with a catalogue of the collection in the Victoria and Albert Museum, Oxford, 1984, p. 23, fig. 12; F. Cheetham, The Alabaster men. Sacred images from Medieval England, exh. cat., Daniel Katz Ltd., London, 2001; F. Cheetham, Alabaster images of Medieval England, Woodbridge, 2003, p. 172, no. 14