Original Appearance
Our Lady of Westminster still retains enough of her polychromy for us to ascertain her original appearance. Her throne was coloured an ochre red with the knops being picked out in gilt, her cloak was dark blue with the inner folds red. The ground beneath her feet was a characterictic dark green scattered with red and white daisies and her crown, sceptre, mantle fastenings and the Christ Child's hair were all gilded. These bright colours were characteristic of Nottingham Alabaster since they for the most part, were designed to be housed in wooden altarpieces with painted shutters, and to be seen by candlelight in dimly lit churches. The fact that Our Lady is flat backed and almost bas relief in places makes it likely that she was intended for just such an altarpiece.
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