Discalced Carmelite 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 a discalced Carmelite nun. The Carmelites are one of the oldest religious orders. Following reforms in the mid-16th century, the Carmelites separated into two distinct groups. The original Carmelites are described as ‘calced’ (wearing shoes), while discalced Carmelites went barefoot. The discalced Carmelites were established in the 1590s and are known as Teresians due to their following reforms introduced by St. Teresa of Ávila and St. John of the Cross. Carmelites are contemplative, focusing on study and the development of spiritual understanding. Calced Carmelite and Teresian nuns wear identical habits, consisting of a brown tunic and scapular, a white cloak, and a white wimple with a black veil.