Austrian, Tyrol, circa 1200

Given the age of the sculpture, the condition of the wood is good overall, with wear and dirt to the surface consistent with age. The arms are carved separately and joints are visible at the shoulders, with wood dowels holding the arms in place. The polychromy has largely worn away; remnants are visible, including to the chest, the proper right leg, both hands, and the face. The polychromy in the face may have been refreshed. There is stable splitting to the wood consistent with the material, notably slightly open splits to the proper left side of the head, to the chest and abdomen, and the perizonium. There is evidence of non-active worming in several areas, including to the proper right hand, the proper right shoulder, the top of the head, the abdomen, the proper left leg and both feet. There are losses to the crown and to the toes, probably due to worming. Some glue residue is visible around the joints at the shoulders. There is a small mount for hanging at the back, and there is a small hole in the area between the feet.
"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."

The long face with large oval eyes, the ribcage delineated by two converging diagonal lines, and the perizonium with one knee exposed and one knee covered, find comparison in a corpus from the collegiate church, Innichen, dating to circa 1220 (Andergassen, op. cit., pp. 36-37). The more abstracted anatomy may, however, indicate an earlier date; compare with the corpus, dating to circa 1125-1150, in the Metropolitan Museum of Art (inv. no. 1984.129), and the Northern Tyrol, circa 1160/80, corpus published in Gotik in Tirol (op. cit., no. 1).

RELATED LITERATURE
Gotik in Tirol. Malerei und Plastik des Mittelalters, exh. cat. Tiroler Landesmuseum Ferdinandeum, Innsbruck, 1950, p. 15, no. 1; L. Andergassen, Kunstraum Südtirol, Bozen, 2007, pp. 36-37