Though some assumed that the figure was once part of a larger group including a horse, the statue illustrates one of the popular episodes from the life of the resourceful saint, who discovered an ingenious work-around when it came to shoeing a vicious stallion possessed by the devil. He simply cut off the leg, fitted the shoe and then stuck it on again.
He proved popular in the saleroom, too, selling for £17,000 against an estimate in the low thousands.
