[Skin and knife. Attributes of St. Bartholomew]

St. Bartholomew, who was born in Kana/Galilee in the first century, is known as one of the twelve apostles of Jesus and is associated with skin diseases due to the attribute "skin" which he carries over his arm like a coat or blanket. Curing the daughter of King Polymios in Armenia led to his doom. He was flayed alive and subsequently crucified. Michelangelo's Last Judgment (1536-1541) in the Sistine Chapel of the Vatican shows him as flayed and holding his own skin in his hand. Today he is regarded as the patron saint of dermatology because of his association with the skin.