The destruction of offensive imagery was a notable feature of Scotland's religious upheavals, particularly in the 1540s-1560s, the years leading up to the Reformation, and again in the troubles of the 1630s and 1640s. Because so many medieval monuments survive only as fragments it is not always possible to distinguish ideological destruction from simple vandalism, reuse, or the ravages of time. In the case of robbed brass matrices, it is likely that the imagery was unacceptable, but the metal itself was of commercial value. With effigies the intention is often clearer: religious figures would have been an obvious target, and commonly have lost heads and hands. Secular effigies also suffered: in some cases these might have been targeted for political or social reasons, but may also have been seen as offensive as a depiction of the human figure. Noticeable is the number of female effigies which have had their heads erased, indicating a particular objection to the depiction of the female form.