Saints Anne and Joachim: Patrons of Grandparents, Handmade Statue with Scroll

This small statue has an image of Saints Anne and Joachim, the patrons of grandparents, with their daughter, Mary. I carved the original of the statue and cast it in modified gypsum with bronze powder. I then carved the insert and cast it in lead free pewter. The image in the insert is of Anne and Joachim with Mary, an angel above. Carvings of angels flank the insert. The back has two scribes at their desks, flanking a scroll that comes with the piece. The scroll contains the following text:

"The Gospel of James tells that Anne and her husband, Joachim, were childless late into their lives, though they both sincerely wanted a child. In desperation, Joachim went into the desert to fast and pray for a child while Anne, at home, waited and prayed patiently. One day, in prayer, she looked up to see an angel descending to tell her that she would conceive a child who would become famous throughout the world. Soon thereafter, Anne became pregnant and later gave birth to Mary, the mother of Jesus. Anne and Joachim are thus the patrons of grandparents because they were the grandparents of Jesus of Nazareth. This piece was handmade by Hank Schlau and was hand painted by Karen Schlau at their workshop in Covington, Louisiana."

The piece also come with a card that states the above history.

Height: 4 inches; width: 3.5 inches; depth: 2.25 inches