Fragment of a Figure in the Cloisters, Sept. 2007

Fragment of a Figure
Carrara marble
Italy, Tuscany (probably Lucca), early 13th century

Accession # 57.63

With a water flask slung over its shoulder, this figure may represent Joseph on the flight into Egypt or the apostle James the Great, patron saint of pilgrims. In this period, niches with figures of pilgrims ornamented the pilgrimage routes. The extensive use of the drill and the swirling drapery pattern are hallmarks of sculpture produced in Lucca around 1200.

Text from the Cloisters label.