A late medieval sculpture of Saint Thomas is currently for sale at Period Antiques, for the price of 'only' 6,950 UK pounds (around 8,800 Euro). This is unfortunately above the budget of the St. Thomasguild, so we will have to do with the set of high quality photos that the antique shop provides. This Saint Thomas is made of oak and made around 1480. Thomas is holding a carpenters square, which is also correctly made for a square of this period. In his other hand he is holding a leather girdle book. The sculpture is 5 cm high and 28 cm wide.
The girdle book. The leather cover folds over the book and has a knot which is
put under the girdle/belt in order to carry the book.
A girdle book of around 1500, now in the Beinecke Rare Book Library (Beinecke MS 84) of Yale University, USA. The book contains a work by Boetius 'De consolatione philosophiae' together with short notes on medical recipes, including 'Medicyn for the Colyk' (in Dutch). The mathematical work of Boetius formed the base for the medieval board game rithmomachia, which rules are often found at the end of the reproduced works of Boetius; however not in this book. More on girdle books can be found on this medieval book blog.
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