Saint Marguerite And The Dragon – Late 15th Century

Our representation is very old. In carved wood in the round, it is nicely polychromed. The holy woman stands, hands clasped, emerging from the dragon. She is dressed in a belted dress under an open coat.
Margaret of Antioch or Saint Margaret or also Marina is a Virgin, Martyr around 305. She is invoked for deliverance, in particular for pregnant women because legend has it that she emerged unscathed from the belly of the dragon which had engulfed her .
An apocryphal inscription on the terrace mistakenly attributes this figure to Saint Joan, but the attributes of the work are indisputable signatures of Saint Marguerite.
Note the slits including one on the hands and missing dragon.
Later polychromy.
Dimensions of 81 cm high by 32 cm wide and 20 cm deep.