Pius X photo

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I hope you have more luck figuring it out. I simply have no idea.
 
Basically it’s a huge buckle. But I have no idea on the significance or use of the 3 knobs. :confused:
 
Is it a breastplate representation of each of the three crowns of the papal tiara?
 
I’m more interested in the Salon article that the image is linked to. 😃
 
I believe the Pope is wearing a mantum, which is a long papal garment like a cope but much larger. That “buckle” I believe is the “morse,” which is the clasp holding the mantum together. Certainly the largest morse I’ve ever seen. The symbolism of those three “knobs” or whatever, I don’t know.
 
That’s the famous Papal Morse of Leo XIII, those three knobs are beehives.

That morse is a matching set to this Papal Tiara (called the Paris tiara) gifted to the Pope from the people of Paris.

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Tarpeian_Rock said:
I believe the Pope is wearing a mantum, which is a long papal garment like a cope but much larger. That “buckle” I believe is the “morse,” which is the clasp holding the mantum together. Certainly the largest morse I’ve ever seen. The symbolism of those three “knobs” or whatever, I don’t know.
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Checked with my husband (who usually knows about these things) & he thinks you’re right. About the 3 knobs on the clasp, no idea. My guess is since there are 3, they represent the Trinity. Could be wrong tho - it wouldn’t be the first time. 😉
 
That’s really interesting, I’m not a Catholic (rather obviously) but I love our visits to Rome and find the symbolism on its architecture, columns, fountains and so on quite fascinating.

Why beehives I wonder? The bee was the symbol of the Barberini (Urban VIII) but beehives sound a bit Dan Brown.
 
No, I’m not questioning the bee imagery - Barberini bees are something of a feature in Rome, for example. 🙂

It was purely the beehive I was thinking about. Does it occur elsewhere in Catholic regalia, I wonder?
 
All that came to my mind was a Douglas Adams reference from the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy regarding a particular resident of the planet Eroticon 6. I think she also makes an appearance in the reboot of Total Recall.
 
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