St Eloi Oak Sculpture Late 16th Century
 
St Eloi Oak Sculpture Late 16th Century
St Eloi Oak Sculpture Late 16th Century
St Eloi Oak Sculpture Late 16th Century
St Eloi Oak Sculpture Late 16th Century
St Eloi Oak Sculpture Late 16th Century
 
St Eloi Oak Sculpture Late 16th Century

St Eloi Oak Sculpture Late 16th Century


St Eloi or St Eligius shown here as a bishop with a friendly face giving a blessing.
 Born in Chaptelat near Limoges France 558 AD. early years trained as a goldsmith in Limoges
  where later he progressed into the royal household and was appointed master of the mint at Marseilles . Eloi later founded a number of monasteries throughout France and with the consent from the king of France, sent his servants through towns in France to take the bodies of executed criminals and provided them with a christian burial.The Legend of St Eloi is of shoeing a horse
in which one particular horse became very agitated and disruptive as if the devil posessed it as Eloi
was trying to shoe the beast . He then twisted the horses leg off and procceded to shoe the amputated leg . he then re-attached the leg to the horse by giving a blessing. He is Patron saint of many professions but he is best known for being Patron Saint of Blacksmiths , Farriers & Goldsmiths , This sculpture depicts an anvil & hammer at the foot of St Eloi as well  as a pair of pincers set within a trefoil on his chest. St Eloi died in December 660 Noyon France.

The Oak Sculpture depicts him as a Bishop holding a staff making a blessing with an Anvil 
 and hammer at the base.
St Eloi Oak Sculpture 
Late 16th Century 
France.
       -------sold------

 

Dimensions :
61.0 cms High (24 inches)
17.8 cms Wide (7 inches)
11.4 cms Deep (4.5 inches)