Diminutive 15th-Century English Antique Nottingham Alabaster Sculptural Fragment

A 15th Century carved alabaster fragment depicting an Apostle Saint.

Carved from Nottingham alabaster.

What is Nottingham Alabaster?

Nottingham alabaster sculpture is known to be some of the last remaining British art to survive the pre-Reformation period.

In the 14th and 15th centuries, Nottingham was a major centre for the carving, painting and gilding of small alabaster panels for use in religious building throughout England and abroad. There is documentary evidence of at least one workshop in Nottingham belonging to Peter the Mason on St Mary’s Gate, close to St Mary’s Church, and another one nearby at Halifax Place. There is also evidence of a pit for the disposal of alabaster fragments at Fisher Gate.

The bulk of English alabaster came from the East Midlands, in particular from Chellaston Hill, about 15 miles from Nottingham. Chellaston was a thriving tomb-carving centre. However, the Nottingham carvers specialised in the carving of figures and panels for altarpieces because the stone was easy to transport from the quarries in the small blocks needed for this type of work.

It is likely that alabaster carvers started out working from their homes, probably with the help of a servant or apprentice, who they could direct to help them in the different stages of making.

During the Middle Ages, when the majority of the population was unable to read or write, works of art were an important way of spreading ideas and information. Nottingham alabasters played an important role in the medieval Church, along with stained-glass windows, paintings and sculpture. These objects were intended not only to look beautiful but to aid prayer and instruct the congregation in the important messages of the Christian religion, the life of Christ and the Patron Saints.

The local parish church was the single most dominant institution in medieval life, its influence pervading almost every aspect of people’s lives. It gave shape to people’s calendars, it marked important moments in a person’s life (such as baptism, confirmation, marriage and funerals), and it taught its congregations about ethics, the meaning of life and the afterlife.

During the medieval period, there was a thriving export trade in alabasters from this country and from Nottingham in particular. However, during the Reformation, when King Henry VIII forced a break with the Pope and the Roman Catholic Church, most of the alabaster carvings in English churches were destroyed along with other sculpture, images and books. When Edward VI succeeded his father Henry VIII in 1547, he carried out even more serious, systematic destruction of images. The few alabasters in England today, survived because they were hidden, or taken in secret to the continent. This makes Nottingham alabasters even more rare and significant.

Provenance - Sourced from a private European collection.

Condition - As per the images which are self explanatory.

Size - Height 12.5 cm (5")