Uta von Ballenstedt was the wife of Margrave Eckard II of Meissen, member of the German dynasty known as the House of Ascania. Their marriage created no heir, and any chance of furthering their line ended with Eckard’s death in 1046, followed shortly thereafter by Uta’s. Uta’s entire estate was donated to the construction of Naumburg Cathedral. Later, in the 13th century, the anonymous Naumburg Meister created a dozen donor figures for the cathedral, including representations of Eckard II and Uta. These life-size statues are relatively rare in the annals…
