Sculpted in walnut

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The Artwork

In the mid-15th century, workshops in Mechelen (Malines, in present-day Belgium) began producing small wooden statuettes representing male and female saints, and the Infant Jesus. These figures, often called Mechelen dolls or ‘poupées de Malines’, were particularly popular with convents in the region.

The statuettes were usually made of walnut, often carved from a single block of wood and richly polychromed or even gilded. They were typically between 26 and 38 centimetres tall. Because they were produced in large quantities, they were relatively affordable, which made them extremely popular not only in the Low Countries but also throughout Europe, especially in Spain and Portugal. By the first quarter of the 16th century, the dolls could be found everywhere throughout Europe.

Many of these figures were used for private devotion, particularly in beguinages and convents. The Beguines dressed the dolls in delicate textiles, sometimes with gold or silver embroidery, and placed them on altars or in small devotional environments known as ‘Enclosed Gardens’.
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