501 - Saint Sebastian

Saint Sebastian 17th/18th century, carved wood and partly stuccoed, painted in multiple colours and partially gilded or silver-plated, a fully three-dimensional, half-figure depiction of the Christian martyr Saint Sebastian, who, according to tradition, as a Roman soldier and captain of the imperial guard of the Roman Emperor Diocletian, publicly professed his Christian faith; whereupon Diocletian condemned him to death and had him, stripped naked and bound to a tree, shot by Numidian archers; Sebastian, presumed dead, was left to his fate, but was later rescued from the arrows by the devout widow Irene and nursed back to health; shows significant signs of age, in need of restoration; height 80 cm.