A Masterly Hand / Scientia Artis 9

223 Arnold Truyen 11 222 are now concealed by later panels of wood, though it is possible that they were always closed in this way. The Christ Child has largely been carved from the main block, but his arms, Anne’s left hand and part of the book she holds were made separately. This allowed the woodcarver to work on the deeper parts of the sculpture unhindered by projecting elements. Dendrochronological examination of the wood was attempted but proved impossible owing to the irregular growth of the tree and the presence of at least three cores (fig. 11.3c). Comparison with several reference chronologies was made, but no result was forthcomi ng. 16 The holes at the bottom of the statue seem unrelated to each other. They may have been made by nails that are now lost. No typical workbench marks were found here. On Anne’s head is a single rectangular hole that could have been made during the carving process. Instead of a workbench or table, large statues were often fixed on wooden trestles, being held in place by metal ho oks. 17 Th e lack of marks of workbench clamps on this key work eliminated an important cornerstone for comparison or attribution. 11.3 a 11.3 b 11.3 c Fig. 11.3 St Anne with the Virgin and Child, Elsloo, St Augustine’s Church a Front b Back c Underside