St James the Less

St James, with a spade shaped beard is shown wearing a robe with a cloak draped from his shoulder. He holds a fuller's club the symbol of his martyrdom on his left side and a book on his right side.

Saints are the heroes and heroines of Christian faith. In the 14th and 15th centuries, they were a popular subject for alabaster carvings. Religious themes penetrated private life, so devotional images of saints were sculpted not only for church interiors, but also for individuals to contemplate within the privacy of their homes.