ITALIAN SCHOOL. XVIII. SAINT MAURITIUS OF TEBAS. WOOD.

Of all the Roman military saints, only one can wear the Savoy cross on his chest or shield (as is the case here) and that is Mauritius the Theban. There are two different versions of its legend and historians and archaeologists have spilled rivers of ink without reaching a definitive conclusion about its historicity. So let's stay with the legend, that of a centurion of the legion of Thebes, recruited in Egypt and formed exclusively by Christians. Displaced to the Swiss canton of Valais, bad times came for them, the legion was decimated and its commanders executed for refusing to obey orders.
This carving comes from northern Italy (Piedmont?) and is from the 18th century. Its author has represented a soldier of his time (second half of the 18th century) recognizable by the long braid with which the hair is tied. He has dressed him in a coat, military cap and boots, given him a sword, a shield with a cross and a pleated skirt to give him a Roman look. The result is this nice popular matrix figure of a soldier with a pleated skirt. The paint is original and is presented in its used condition as seen in the photos.