German, Upper Rhine, early 16th century

The Child's fourth finger on His proper right hand is lost. His proper right lower arm has been reattached and filled. The bird's tail has been reattached. There is a lacuna to above Christ's proper right eye, two smaller lacuna on His proper left thigh, and a further small lacuna to His inner proper left arm, consistent with the material. There is some stable splitting, particularly visible to the reverse and underside. There is dirt to the crevices. There is some minor greening to the wood at the right edge of the base at the reverse. There are chips to the edges of the base. There is restoration to the base and adhesive is visible, most prominently on the underside. There is a deep hole in the wood on the underside. Otherwise, the condition of the wood is good.
"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."

This charming figure of the Infant Christ is closely related to numerous infants in Upper Rhenish wood carvings. The naked cherubs in the Locher Altarpiece carved by Sixt von Stauffen in Freiburg Cathedral between 1522 and 1530 share certain characteristics (see Feulnur, op. cit.).

Further comparisons can be made with the fruitwood group of three putti playing in the Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna, attributed to Daniel Mauch (inv. no. KK_8920); note the treatment of the hair, the arms and torso as well as the execution of the eyes with their linear outline.

RELATED LITERATURE
A. Feulner, Die Deutsche Plastike des Sechzehnten Jahrunderts, Leipzig, 1926, pl. 60; J. Rasmussen, ‘Eine Gruppe kleinplastischer Bildwerke aus dem Stilkreis des Conrat Meit’, Städel-Jahrbuch, 4, 1973, pp.121-144; M. Baxandall, The Limewood Sculptors of Renaissance Germany, New Haven and London, 1980, p. 303, pls. 81-83; T. Eser, Hans Daucher Augsburger Kleinplastik der Renaissance, Berlin 1996; J. Chipps Smith, German Sculpture of the Later Renaissance c.1520-1580. Art in an Age of Uncertainty, Princeton, 1994, pp. 365-366 and 387