Holy Apostle

The palm frond is raised to the shoulder and runs up past the beard almost to the face. The apostle stands frontally, bare feet showing under a long blue-grey tunic gathered at a plain belt. A red mantle is thrown over the left shoulder and drops in one heavy mass to the base, opening the full width of the folds. His lowered left hand grips a pale handle fitted with a dark blade. The oval base, edged with a gilt cartouche, is left bare of any setting.