This type of sculpture, with the Christ child seated in the Virgin's lap in a frontal pose, is known as a Sedes Sapientiae (Throne of Wisdom). These seemingly straightforward images convey complex theological ideas. Mary serves as Christ's throne. Like his ancestors King David and King Solomon, Christ possesses wisdom and justice. Christ would have held a Bible, the divine wisdom that he himself embodies. The abstract linear character of the carving, the upward swirl of the drapery, and the facial type relate this piece to the sculptures of the Cathedral of Saint-Lazare at Autun.
