Mary Magdalene holds her symbol, a jar of perfumed ointment: she had earlier anointed Christ’s feet at a banquet; later she would anoint his corpse before its burial. The work, intended to be set flat against a support as seen here, was likely part of a larger sculptural group, the Magdalene looking up towards the crucified Christ. Lederer was both a sculptor and a broker, arranging for teams of craftsmen – including sculptors, painters and carpenters – to create work under his direction.