medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
Greetings all,
Given the attention that relics, reliquaries, and pilgrim badges receive, I wonder if anyone knows of studies, exhibitions, etc. of small (5 cm. or 2 inch tall) statuettes of saints, which were mass-produced in the low countries (and probably elsewhere) in the late Middle Ages (and perhaps earlier?) It has occurred to me that I have no idea of the context for such items. Extrapolating backwards from the present day, I can imagine that people may have carried them around as amulets, or perhaps kept them in their rooms for purposes of devotion or protection; it seems unlikely that they would have been found on altars in churches or chapels (except perhaps for extremely poor ones, as the case I am considering may have been). I did wonder, however, whether one might make an offering of such a small image of the saint to the saint who had responded to a vow (in which case one might find lots of them in a single location, as ex-votos.)
Does anyone know of any studies of such objects?
Thanks in advance,
Meg
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