bavarikon4U
Description
These two halves of this model create a mould for the production of an amphibian-like, toad-like shaped figure with four legs, a head and a scaled lower body. The fan-shaped tail serves as a standing surface. This object carved from fruitwood dates to around 1750. The model was used to make votive offerings from wax, one of the oldest materials for votive offerings (votives). Votive offerings are made by the donor (votary) on the basis of a vow (lat. ex voto) as a visible and material expression of their prayer request at a place of pilgrimage ("sacrificed" = votation) and publicly displayed there. Votives thus testify to the "efficacy" of the prayer felt by the votary. The external form of the votive offering refers to the circumstance or occasion of the votation. Since ancient times, the toad has been regarded as a symbol for the womb, which was imagined as an independent being living in the body, biting and causing pain. Votive offerings in the form of toads were made for all female ailments. Abdominal disorders, infertility, "hysteria", the request for the prevention of miscarriages and a thanksgiving for successful pregnancies were occasions for the offering of toad votives. Men also offered them in cases of abdominal pain or discomfort.
Author
Dr. Stephan Bachter, Historischer Verein Neuburg an der Donau