Mechelen or Malines specialised in carving alabaster from 1550 to 1650 during the period of the Flemish renaissance in various workshops throughout the region. The most common were in giltwood or pastiglia frames and were small in size , generally around 12cm x 9cm . They usually depicted scenes from the Old and New Testament but could also represent the lives of saints or mythology. Due to their size they were meant for private devotion.