This exceptionally life-like figure is carved from linden wood and once decorated a church or cathedral.   The figure stands authoritatively, with right arm raised and index finger extended toward heaven.   According to Christian iconography commonly used in paintings and sculpture, this gesture signifies that salvation comes through baptism.  The figure wears a girdle of animal fir, probably from a bear, and makes symbolic reference to John the Baptist's life in the wilderness of Judea, between Jerusalem and the Dead Sea. The elegantly carved robe is a baroque element that adds a sense of motion and energy to the artwork.  Originally, the sculpture was polychromed, but the original pigments have weathered away and been replaced with whitewash.  Repairs, losses, and insect damage are minor and expected due to great age.