Surface abrasions, chipping, and losses throughout commensurate with age (generally visible in catalogue image). The piece appears to have been broken and repaired through his neck, through his lower abdomen and at his ankles. There are some patches of fills around these breaks. The feet and base have been restored. Other areas have surface restorations (including some of drapery) and the face has been resurfaced and sharpened somewhat. Well done restoration to top of nose. Remainders of polychromy.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

This powerful figure of Saint John the Baptist is shown standing with a frontal posture. His slender eyes are accentuated by the bold, stylized, parallel lines of wrinkles on his forehead. The Saint’s hair is partially shorn, tucked behind his substantial ears, and long and parted on the back. His simple robe falls in straight, vertical folds, revealing his bare feet below. He holds the emblem of the Agnes Dei, the lamb of God, in his proper left hand.
While the arrangement of St. John’s drapery is more geographically generalized, it is characteristic of French sculpture from the 13^th century onward. The physiognomy, however, is specific to the region of Upper Lorraine, what was once called Lotharingia.
A similarly draped stone figure of Saint John holding the Agnus Dei, from the first quarter of the 13^th century is in Etienville (Northern France) in the church of St. Sauveur- le-Vicomte. The minimalist garment, the folds of drapery and the simplified treatment of the Saint’s hands and feet juxtaposed with a more refined carving of the head is analogous to the present sculpture. The limestone, however, comes from the Lorraine region, specifically the from the mid-jurassic hills of Moselle located in northwest  Metz. Furthermore, the same details, including the distinctive ears and the broad, squarish face with  somewhat pinched facial features is seen on sculptures, including the St. Laurent in in Verdun-et-Toul, just West of Metz (Schmoll gen. Eisenwerth, cit., p. 380, cat no. 242 and a standing deacon, probably Stephanus, from Meurthe-et-Moselle (Schmoll gen. Eisenwerth, cit., p. 486,  cat. no. 319).

RELATED LITERATURE
J. A. Schmoll gen. Eisenwerth, Die lothringische Skulptur des 14. Jahrhunderts : ihre Voraussetzungen in der Südchampagne und ihre, Petersberg, 2005;
Ralph Melcher (cur.), Lothringische Skulptur des 14. Jahrhunderts, exhibition catalogue, 14 May to 30 July 2006, Museum in der Schlosskirche,   Petersberg, 2006;
Fabienne Joubert, La Sculpture Gothique en France XII-XIII siècles, Paris, 2008