18th cent. Reliquary Bust First Class Relics of St Wolfgang Gold Leaf Ossuary

Bone and personal effects of Saint Wolfgang inside the ossuary
A finely crafted, golf-leafed bust with reliquary compartment of the 10th-century St. Wolfgang (ca 934-994 AD), patron saint of wood carvers and carpenters. His life is one of the better documented among medieval saints with Otloh having penned his biography not long after his death. He was missionary to the Magyars, bishop of Regensburg in Bavaria, and a Benedictine.
The saint wears the simple miter of a bishop in this bust. The detail is intricate, the anatomy flawless. He is bearded, unlike in other depictions of the saint, such as those of Michael Pacher and Moritz von Schwind. His demeanor is serious and animated as befits an ascetic and priest who was reputed to have been one of the best pulpit preachers of the medieval period.
The appearance of Wolfgang here follows closely the model of the saint’s sculpture in the altar of the Parish church at Metnitz, which is the work of Balthassar Prandstätter, whose workshop was famous for their wood-carved sculptures in the 18th century. This reliquary bust is likely the work of Johann Nishlwitzer or Prandstätter himself and will make a fine addition to any collection of saints or as a standalone bust in an entryway or office.
 
Condition
Some damage to top of miter and other minor indentations: No other damage seen
 
Provenance
German private collection
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