Statuette of St. George (made in 1586)

3D Model

The St. George statuette is a magnificent statuette in the form of an equestrian statue decorated with gold and precious stones in the treasury of the Residence in Munich.

The 50 cm high statuette shows Knight St. George in armor with a sword on his decorated white warhorse, fighting against a green dragon. In the knight’s fight against the dragon, the statuette symbolizes the general victory of good over evil. The work is a manifestation of Bavaria’s political position in times of religious schism.

The statuette was created as a reliquary for a St. George relic that the Cologne Archbishop Ernst of Bavaria gave to his brother Duke Wilhelm V in Munich in 1586. In the 17th century, the statuette was displayed on the altar of the Rich Chapel of the Munich Residence on high holidays. The model for Saint George’s armor was the magnificent armor that William V wore to the Corpus Christi procession. The bearded face of the saint, carved in boxwood under the movable helmet visor, bears the features of the donor.