Here is a lovely statue of Mary, portrayed as a Queen, with her scepter of a stem of roses. She was made in about 1350. This statue is related to one in silver given by Jeanne d’Evreux to the Abbey of Saint-Denis in 1339.
Her scepter is a stem of roses without a thorn.
The Lord has His bird, probably a dove in this case, rather than His finch.
But for those of you who want a finch, look closely at this unicorn tapestry.
It is probably not a coincidence that the finch is here, since the unicorn to be killed in this series is a symbol of Christ.
Very beautiful, thanks for posting these!
Love those finches…you could do a book, after your recipe and liturgical meditations books on birds in art.
The Madonnas from the Middle Ages in France are always so ethereal and peaceful, as if we are seeing into the soul.
And, of course, the rose is one of her emblems and symbols, as well as Christ’s. Here is one of my favorites, from the Hilliard Ensemble on this theme.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Y3DBbJ4wok&feature=related