Castilian school. Romanesque. 12th century. 'Virgin of the Battles' Carved and polychrome wooden sculpture. ...

Castilian school. Romanesque. 12th century.

'Virgin of the Battles'

Carved and polychrome wooden sculpture. It preserves its original polychromy.

32 x 11 x 9 cm.

The Virgin presented here was the object of devotion for a Christian army in the 13th century. We affirm this because this type of Marian invocation, due to its small size, was carried into battle so that the troops could commend themselves to the Virgin during warfare and seek her protection.

It is a very rare example, as it is one of the very few representations of this Virgin—fewer than ten are known. Among them, we may highlight the gilded copper Virgin of the Battles, possibly from Limoges, held in the Museo del Prado (inv. E000909) and on loan to the Museo de Burgos; and the one exhibited in the Royal Chapel of Seville Cathedral, made of ivory in France in the 13th century, which, according to tradition, was carried by Ferdinand III the Saint in all his campaigns against the Muslims.

The Virgin is depicted seated with the Child, in the classical image of Sedes Sapientiae, the Virgin with the Child on the Seat of Wisdom.