Rare Saint Reine box - Lot 256

Rare Saint Reine box Rectangular box in poplar wood with a gabled roof. Inner polychrome scene, in plaster, with very naive subjects and rough finishes. The scene recounts the life of Saint Reine and her martyrdom, through several animated scenes. France, late 17th century Dimensions: 23 x 13 cm Condition: the movable shutters are missing, the background has been reattached with scotch tape. At the beginning of the 17th century, figurines were made of terracotta, with low or high relief painted in white or color. Boxes containing wax-headed figures appeared after 1800. The composition is arranged around the crowned saint, bare-chested, wearing a long skirt and belt. Beside her are her portrait as a shepherdess with a distaff, her nurse, angels, the vat in which an attempt was made to drown her, the executioner armed with his scimitar who is about to behead her, the dove bringing the palm of martyrdom, her effigy as a shepherdess, with her sheep and crosses in front of the three abalones. Made from fragile, perishable materials that are difficult to maintain, Saint Reine boxes preserved in good condition are extremely rare, so much so that French public collections only hold a dozen, and only around fifty are known to exist in all...