Late 13th century AD. A large Gothic head of Virgin Mary as a young lady, delicately sculpted face with graceful expression, wearing a long veil and a heavy crown with fleur-de-lys, long hair arranged in concentric waves with middle parting; surviving pigment to the crown, folds of the veil and tunic; reputedly from Île-de-France. See Joubert, F., La sculpture gothique en France. XIIe-XIIIe siècles, Paris, 2008; Kasarska, L., La sculpture de la façade occidentale de la cathédrale de Laon. Eschatologie et humanisme, Paris, 2008. 15.4 kg, 29.5cm (11 1/2"). Ex central London gallery; formerly with Christie's, 27 April 2010, lot 457; accompanied by an archaeological report by Dr. Raffaele D’Amato; this lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by AIAD certificate number no.10220-166461. This statue derives from the development of an artistic movement aiming to abandon the monumental perspective in favour of a narrative. The sculptures become gradually more independent from architecture and more realistic in their colours and details, making use of the effects of shadows and lights. The drapes are portrayed in a more realistic way, the faces are illuminated by tender smiles. The statue belongs to the stylistic current embodied by the Ivory Virgin of the Sainte-Chapelle and therefore to the productions of Île-de-France, whose influence dominates the south of the Oise and beyond. This work bears witness to the rise of Mary's worship in the early Middle Ages, inspiring sculptors to produce statues in the image of a smiling young woman. [a video of this item will be available on Timeline Auctions website]