Ursuline 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 Ursuline nun. The Ursuline habit is one of the most widely recognised, with its black serge tunic, belt and veil, and white wimple. The Ursuline order was founded in 1535 by St Angela de Merici for the education of girls and the care for the sick and needy, and continues strong today.