VINTAGE HAND-CARVED & PAINTED WOODEN MONK — FROM A CLOSED NUNS CONVENT
What a wonderful old piece with so much character! This hand-carved and hand-painted wooden monk came to us from a now-closed nuns convent, where it was part of the sisters' religious collection. He stands approximately 7½ inches tall and has that unmistakable primitive, folk-art quality that makes older hand-carved religious pieces so appealing. The monk is depicted in his traditional hooded habit, with a long white beard and a simple white cross painted on the front of his robe. He holds an unusual carved object in his hands, adding even more interest to this wonderfully rustic piece. You can see the marks of the carver's hand throughout—the uneven surfaces, individually formed facial features, painted details and wonderfully aged wood. He has plenty of convent-used wear, scratches and age-related patina, all of which we have left exactly as we received him. To us, these signs of use are part of his history and charm. There is something especially touching about religious objects that have actually spent their lives within a convent. We don't know which sister owned or displayed him, or how many years he spent there, but he is a tangible little piece of Catholic religious life that has now disappeared with the closing of the convent. Approximately 7½" tall. Hand-carved and painted wood. Vintage convent-used condition with age-related wear and patina as shown. One of a kind. A beautiful little treasure for a prayer corner, home altar, bookshelf or collection of vintage Catholic religious art.