Lot 1064: A German lime wood Corpus Christi, attributed to t

A German lime wood Corpus Christi, attributed to the workshop of Tilman Riemenschneider (1460-1531), early 16th century, attached to a modern cross, 67.5cm high, the cross, 110.5 by 77cm Provenance: Dr. Borngesser, Wiesbaden, Germany 1933 and thence by family descent Tilman Riemenschneider (c. 1460 - 7 July 1531) was a German sculptor, probably active in Wurzberg from 1483. He was one of the most prolific and versatile sculptors of the transition period between late Gothic and Renaissance, a master of working in stone and lime wood He was born in Heiligenstadt in 1460 but moved away from the area following his father's involvement in political strife. Little is known of the sculptor's early career, although it is likely he was apprenticed to a stone mason in Erfurt, specialising in carving alabaster. He settled in Ulm for a time, where he may have worked as an apprentice to Michel Erhart. A ''Tilman Riemenschneider'' appears in the Wurzburg town records before 1479. He may well also come into contact with a sculptor called Martin Schongauer as part of his training which required apprenticeships with multiple masters to increase diversity of skills. He became a member of the painter's Guild of Saint Luke on 7 December 1483 apprenticed as a painter. On 28 February 1485 he married Anna Schmidt. This marriage not only brought him property but it also meant that he could end his apprenticeship and become a master craftsman. It is known that he had a large traditional workshop with many apprentices and received numerous commissions from various town councils. Further major commissions were executed by Riemenschneider's workshop for local patrons, as well as for clients in Franconia and Saxony, and this work may have originated from this workshop.