Processional statues are something that one primarily sees within the Catholic countries situated around the Mediterranean. I speak here of countries like Italy, Malta, Spain and Portugal. Typically these statues are placed upon ornamental bases -- called biers -- that are then carried on the shoulders of four or more men as it is processed through the streets.
Recently ALBL Oberammergau, a ecclesiastical carving firm located Germany, shared news of both an original statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary and an accompanying processional bier, not destined for souther Europe, but rather for the New World:
We are excited to share more details about the processional statue of the Blessed Mother with Child, that takes place in the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington D.C. The statue was entirely hand-carved from Pine wood—a wood chosen not only for its fine carving quality but also for its exceptional lightness, making it ideal for processional use. Since the entire bier is carried during processions, weight was a key consideration in the selection of materials. The statue of the Blessed Mother with Child stands 4’ 4“ tall and is mounted on a processional bier we custom-built for this project. The bier itself reaches a total height of 6’ 4“ and measures 3’ 5“ by 3’ 5“ at its base. It features elaborately hand-carved ornaments and received a dark brown staining with gold gilded details (23.75 ct.). Above the statue, a beautifully crafted canopy crowns the structure, decorated with a hand painted star pattern. When not in use during processions, the statue and bier are displayed on a pedestal that we also created for this project.
The bier itself is uniquely done in a gothic style -- something one seldom sees, perhaps in part because the aforementioned countries where this processional tradition typically finds its most common expression, generally tend more toward the baroque forms than they do gothic.
Beyond the beauty of the bier itself, one should not fail to take note of what is the primary point of focus here, the beautiful and noble statue of the Virgin and Child, a statue that features rich, gothic inspired colours and decorative gilt stencilling.
For more information about this or other such pieces, please visit ALBL Oberammergau's website, or visit them on social media.
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