English, Nottingham, 15th century

with an old collection label to the reverse printed: THE ADLER COLLECTION

Sir Alfred Bossom, United Kingdom (as listed by Cheetham, op. cit. p. 85, no. 61, pl. 59)
John and Judith Adler, United Kingdom
their sale, Sotheby's London, 24 February 2005, The Adler Collection. European Sculpture, Works of Art and Early Furniture, lot 56
private collection, United Kingdom

York, City of York Art Gallery, English Medieval Alabaster Carvings, York Festival Exhibition, 1954, no. 9

J. Jacob and H. Hess, English Medieval Alabaster Carvings, exh. cat. City of York Art Gallery, York, 1954, no. 9
F. Cheetham, Alabaster Images of Medieval England, Woodbridge, 2003, p. 85, no. 61, pl. 59

Overall the condition of the alabaster is good. There is wear and dirt to the surface consistent with age. There is wear to the polychromy throughout. There is a loss to the top left corner and there are minor chips to the edges of the relief, Joseph's proper right hand, the tip of the shoe of the kneeling Magus, the nose of the Virgin and the tips of the crowns of the standing Magi. There is a little hole in the background next to the trough. There are four wire mounts to the back. There is some wear to the polychromy on the frame and some paint has flaked off the console. The velvet lining is distressed.
"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."

Alabaster was quarried near Derby, west of Nottingham, from the Middle Ages onwards. Initially it was used in tomb carving and although unsuitable for outdoor use its popularity increased and it was carved as figures and reliefs illustrating the Life of Christ and the Saints. It was easy to carve as well as to paint with vivid medieval paints, which, in many, instances remain. By the fifteenth century, an international trade for such reliefs was in existence with examples reaching as far north as Iceland and as far south as Spain and the Mediterranean (see the magnificant altarpiece from Castropol in Spain, which was sold at Sotheby's on 5 December 2012, lot 13).

Although these reliefs were carved in a number of places, such as Burton-on-Trent, Chellaston, York and even London, it was Nottingham, which was the major centre for production. Following the Dissolution of the Monasteries in 1539, the industry suffered as the number of commissions shrank away, dying out completely by the end of the reign of King Henry VIII in 1547.

The present relief, which is a particularly superb example of Nottingham alabaster carving, was illustrated in Francis Cheetham's Alabaster Images of Medieval England (Cheetham, op. cit. p. 85, no. 61, pl. 59).