Bridgettine Nun

This figure is one of a set of 50 dressed to represent the outfits worn by Catholic religious orders. They are made of tow (hemp) with wax heads, hands and feet. They were probably made in France, as they are labelled in French, but some of the orders represented were only active in Germany and the Netherlands.

This figure represents an Bridgettine nun. The Bridgettine (or Birgittine) order is a monastic order founded by Saint Birgitta (St. Bridget) of Sweden in about 1350, and still active today. The order was open to both men and women. For the nuns the order was enclosed, with an emphasis on study and scholarship, whilst the monks could act as preachers and missionaries. The Bridgettine nun's habit was a grey tunic and scapular with ties, a black hood, and a white wreath with red crosses.