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 9½ 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 on the front of his robe. He holds what appears to be a small open book, perhaps representing Scripture or a prayer book—a beautiful detail that gives this particular monk a contemplative character. You can see the marks of the carver's hand throughout—the individually formed facial features, carved folds of his habit, painted details and wonderfully aged wood. He has convent-used wear, scratches and age-related patina, which we have left exactly as we received him. These signs of age and 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 9½" tall. Hand-carved and painted wood. Vintage convent-used condition with age-related wear and patina as shown. One of a kind. A wonderful treasure for a prayer corner, home altar, bookshelf or collection of vintage Catholic religious art.