Trappist 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 Trappist nun, or Trappistine. The Trappist order is a Cistercian order founded in 1664, and still active today. The Trappist order is mainly known as a monastic order, but like other Cistercian orders, has a women's branch known as the Trappistines. The order was founded at La Trappe Abbey in Normandy in reaction to the general relaxation of practices in many Cistercian monasteries, and retains stricter rules. The Trappist nun's habit comprises a white tunic over which is worn a black scapular, a white wimple and black veil.