Wooden Saint Barbara Statue

sketchfab

This bronze statue, crafted by J. Thissen & Son in Roermond back in 1909, was donated to the Nederlands Mijnmuseum by Emma's last director, a mining official from the Limburg region who served from 1911 until 1973. Standing at an impressive 1.15 meters tall and measuring 32x27 cm at its base, this statue showcases Saint Barbara, depicted with her iconic attributes: a tower, sword, and chalice (check the interactive hotspots for more iconographic details). According to ancient legend, Barbara's father Dioscorus, a pagan man, kept his daughter imprisoned in a tower after discovering she had converted to Christianity. When he publicly denounced her faith, he beheaded her with his own sword when she refused to renounce it. Subsequently, he was struck by lightning in a shocking display of divine retribution. As a result, Saint Barbara was revered as the patron saint of individuals who worked with explosives. With the increasing use of explosives in mining, Saint Barbara became the protector and patroness of miners. Miners and their families would often pray to the saint for her protection and guidance.