Saint Ursula and the eleven thousand virgins

Saint Ursula was of royal descent, the daughter of a British king, and was promised in marriage to a Pagan ruler, upon whom the sovereign had imposed the condition that he converted to Christianity. As per legend, her caravan was on its way back to the British Isles after the wedding when it was attacked by the Huns driven by hatred of the Christian faith. The princess and her maids-in-waiting were detained in Cologne, where they were all shot to death with arrows.
Saint Ursula and her companions were the object of special devotion in Portugal, where she is depicted with a royal crown and mantle indicating her condition of Princess, along with the palm frond that distinguishes martyrs and an arrow. All of these attributes are present in this large polychrome wood bas-relief, upon which many details from the dressing of the hair to the clothing, are picked out in gold. Gilt work also highlights the rich frame, which is thought to have formed an altarpiece background. The frame’s decoration along with the treatment of the figures, allows us to date the work from the early 17th century.