Ceroplastic depicting Martin Luther, Neapolitan area, 17th - 18th century

gilded and bluish-painted wooden case containing a polychrome wax bas-relief depicting the half-length profile of Martin Luther, recognisable by his dresses.
Ceroplastic works such as this one were made of beeswax and resins, which after modelling were painted with natural pigments to simulate realistic hues. Ceroplast was widely used to create religious figures such as saints, madonnas and biblical scenes in Italian artistic production, particularly in central and southern Italy, between the 17th and 18th centuries. They were characterised by extreme naturalism and Baroque influences in the depiction of popular religiosity of the time. Moreover, the figures were often kept in shrines or tabernacles made of carved wood and glass, which served both for protection and aesthetic enhancement.