Featured ID help : carved gilded wood sculpture of a friar

Hello friends,

I would need your opinion to identify this carved gilded wood sculpture.
I believe it is San Francesco, during his life as a friar, because it keeps on hand two doves, but i'm not sure.
The face is a bit ruined unfortunately, but the physiognomy still stands out.
From the gilding and condition of the wood it seems very old, maybe ancient?
But as regards the style, the origin, and a hypothetical indicative dating, I rely directly on your expertise.
Thanks for your time.

Measurements:

Height : 15 cm

Width : 5.5 cm

Depth : 4.5 cm

P.S. @Debora the champagne cork is still the same ha ha






















@Any Jewelry

 

Post zombie apocalypse friar?

 

you are very comical ah ah ;
can you also give me some help in antiquers style ?

 

St. Francis preaching to the birds is all I can put in.

 

How far up does the hollow in the base go? Doesn't seem like a wood carving should be hollow?

 

The cavity extends to the shoulders, while the wood is solid starting from the neck

 

Done by the same restorer??

 

It does not look like wood, particularly with that cylindrical hollow inside. I cannot tell what the material is, but it looks more like it is a cast copy of a wooden figure, and the casting material did not make it into the head of the mold. A bad casting job. Nevertheless, they painted it gold.

 

you're so funny

 

no, it's wood, this is 100% sure, in the hole there are splinters of wood.
Whether it is wood you can also see it from the top of the head and in the areas where the gilding has been lost, as well as in the underlying part of the base.

I believe it is old, seeing it live, I believe that the face and part of the head was wrongly? burned, and then they painted it gilded to diminish the burn.

 

For the record if I was unclear before, I also don't think this is wood. Agree its some variety of casted matrix that probably incorporates fibrous material.

 

please check my previous message that I edited

 

Nothing about the image of the top of the head looks like burnt or broken or decayed wood to me...im no expert of course.

 

He's very lumpy for a hand carving.

 

I would not say slopping brass powder paint over an article could be described as gilding.

 

coming soon to a cinema near you

the elephant man II, the monastery years

 

but how many witty phrases today, it is nice to find this atmosphere of comedy even in such a professional forum, very appreciable

 

none of you thought, however, that the head may have been smashed with an ax by Ragnar Lothbrok (Vikings) while the friar was in Wessex praying with Athelstan

 

I agree, it is St Francis/Francesco of Asissi, preaching to the doves. He is the patron saint of my family.

Gian, could it be ceramic? Painted terracotta maybe?
I see an overlap in the lower part of his hood, that is something you could get if you used a single strip of clay to shape that lower part. Here in the centre of this detail:

 

@Any Jewelry I am sending you some unprofessional photos, taken now with the phone and with the flash, forgive the quality. I am sending you details to understand if it is wood or terracotta.