‘Sainte Barbe’ carved wood sculpture, 16th century

Sainte Barbe (Saint Barbara), a 16th century sculpture in wood, the pleating of the clothes is reminiscent of the Flemish or German style.
She was holding a tower which has now disappeared, her long curly hair hangs down her back, the headdress has been reattached with nails in the past, and the eyes may have been re-cut in the past.
The statue has suffered the ravages of time, perhaps having been left outside under a niche, which exposed it to the elements.
She appears to have suffered axe wounds to the neck and face. Iconoclasts have always destroyed images found in Catalonia, thinking that the civil war had destroyed many religious effigies.
The weathered patina of the wood is extraordinary, but the structure of the dress is still clearly visible.
At the back: an enigmatic iron fixing point.
As a collector of tribal art, I'm sensitive to this kind of eroded patina, like a madagascar or jorai from Vietnam.
Found in Catalonia.

‘The legend of Saint Barbara tells how, in 3rd century Asia Minor, a very pretty young girl called Barbara lived, according to her father's wishes, recluse in a tower to protect her from her suitors. When her father returned from his travels, he discovered that she had converted to Christianity. Mad with rage, he tried to immolate her. When she fled, he found her and, after a series of terrible tortures, had her head cut off. Heaven was quick to retaliate, and the father was instantly struck by lightning.
Since then, Saint Barbara has become the patron saint of those working in the fire and explosion industry: firefighters, pyrotechnicians and miners celebrate her every year on 4 December. A day off for miners, this day was more than a religious event during which a statue of Saint Barbara was blessed and then lowered into the galleries to grant protection to the workers. On the surface, the festival became popular and shared by all, regardless of religion' (cf fete de la sainte barbe.com).