Earthenware Virgin of Childbirth with St-Omer hand painted decoration

Our Vierge d'accoucheée (Virgin in childbirth) earthenware statuette with St-Omer hand painted decoration represents a crowned Virgin Mary carrying the infant Jesus in her arms, patron saint and protector of women in childbirth.

It has a hollow crown to hold a candle and a hole at the bottom to allow a small amount of holy water to be poured into the statuette. They were a common object in rural homes in the 18th and 19th centuries. Traditionally the candle was lit when a pregnant woman experienced her first contractions. This was a sign that labour was beginning. The statuette was then placed on the bedside table of the mother-to-be, the candle would burn until the end of the birth. Family members, gathered in the living room, would pray for a healthy birth for both mother and baby.