Antique Saint George carved in relief panel of heavy wood. No marks or origin, purchased in Italy. Old museum mark on back.

This is a piece of a Sicilian donkey cart. There were carts completely made up of scenes and figures carved and painted. These were often broken up into the different bits and sold to tourists in the early 1900's once the cart started wearing out.


Approximately 6 1/2 inches tall by 6 1/2 inches wide, and 2 inches deep. Wood has some old age cracks. Paint is very worn and missing, with overall crazing. Photos were taken in bright light, making it appear brighter than it really is.

Antique vintage condition with overall wear, including scuffs, scratches, chips and loss of paint.

Saint George, also George of Lydda, was an early Christian martyr who is venerated as a saint in Christianity. According to tradition, he was a soldier in the Roman army. Of Cappadocian Greek origin, he became a member of the Praetorian Guard for Roman emperor Diocletian, but was sentenced to death for refusing to recant his Christian faith. He became one of the most venerated saints and megalomartyrs in Christianity, and he has been especially venerated as a military saint since the Crusades. He is respected by Christians, Druze, as well as some Muslims as a martyr of monotheistic faith.


One of the best-known symbols of Sicilian folk iconography, the cart was created as a means of transport that responded to practical needs, but went on to be transformed into a vehicle for cultural transmission. Sculpture and painting were applied its various constituent parts to represent moments from the island’s history, or from epic stories or popular religion, creating valuable constructions that were genuine traveling works of art. Discover the beauty of this thoroughly Sicilian tradition.

The Sicilian cart is closely linked to the history of the island, but is hasn’t always existed, not least because the deterioration of the road network after the fall of the Roman Empire made two-wheeled vehicles almost unusable. It was only at the beginning of the nineteenth century that the cart began to be widespread, as prior to then all trade and transport were generally carried out by sea. From that moment on the horse-drawn cart began to be used to transport wood and agricultural products, such as sacks of grain, legumes, citrus fruits, almonds and wine barrels. Its use for transportation declined in the second half of the twentieth century, however, with the increasing popularity of motor vehicles, but, as we shall see, it continues to work its charms on popular sensibility and tourists.