Reliquary statuette of St. Paul with relics

According to tradition, Paul was beheaded in Rome. The figure of Paul depicts him with the sword as a symbol of his martyrdom. The statuette serves as a reliquary.

Among the relics contained are also fragments of the wood over which Paul was beheaded (de ligno, super quo decollatus est) as well as remains of the chain (de catena) with which Paul had previously been bound.

The reliquary is hollow. The relics can be inserted either through a flap at the back or from below after removing the base.

The statuette is part of a larger ensemble of figures. In addition to the twelve apostles, the group includes a statuette of John the Baptist. These fourteen statuettes once stood in the former high altar retable, complementing fourteen busts of prophets. Today, the twelve apostles and the figure of Saint Paul—along with a statuette of the Virgin Mary—are displayed on the celebrant's altar in St. Paul's Cathedral.