Late Gothic Netherlandish Oak Figure of Christ in Majesty

Finely carved oak statuette of an enthroned, bearded figure, the right hand raised in benediction (now with minor losses) and the left grasping a rectangular book, the earthly globe carved at His feet as a footstool. The deeply undercut, angular “broken” folds of the mantle cascade in crisp planes across the lap and around the throne, a hallmark of late 15th-century Netherlandish drapery style. The head is sensitively modelled with long, parted hair and a forked beard; the eyes are drilled and the lips subtly incised. The throne is block-carved with stepped sides; the base is integral.
Although long described as “God the Father,” the absence of a papal tiara or imperial crown and the presence of the book and blessing gesture identify the subject more precisely as Christ in Majesty (Maiestas Domini / Salvator Mundi)—a type frequently placed at the centre of Netherlandish altarpieces and sacrament houses in the decades around 1500. The orb at the foot—rather than held in the hand—echoes Isaiah 66:1 (“the earth is my footstool”) and occurs in workshop sculpture from Brabant and the Meuse valley, notably in pieces associated with Antwerp retable carvers.
Condition
Excellent, original surface with a warm honey-brown patina; minor age-consistent worming and handling wear; small losses to the fingers/attribute of the right hand; tiny chips to edges of the base. No intrusive restorations; presents with strong sculptural presence.