Antonio Vivarini
Detail from the Polyptych of the Virgin and Child: St. James the Greater

The staff is the attribute of St. James as pilgrim, referring to the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela. To signal his status as an apostle, he has a gospel book, archaizing garments (tunic and pallium), and bare feet.

View the entire polyptych.
Read more about images of St. James the Greater.

Photographed at the basilica by Richard Stracke, shared under Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike license.