Virgin Mary Statues

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Here is my small collection of Virgin Mary statues. Who else collects or enjoys having statues of the Blessed Mother ?
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I don’t recognize the one on the right. The Christ Child appears to be older than usual, and Mary has no halo or veil. Is this a commonly known image, or a unique artistic depiction? She also seems to be wearing a highly modified two-tiered scapular of a type that I have never seen. The scapular appears to have a medallion, but I cannot make it out.
 
I have Our Lady of La Vang and the Sacred Heart and my mother has the Korean Madonna and Child shown in your picture.👍
 
jeannetherese said:
I have Our Lady of La Vang
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Thanks - I did a Google Image Search. You are probably correct. However, I could not find any image that had either of the two features that appeared the most unusual to me - the unadorned head and the distinctive two-tiered scapular.

Every image I found had some sort of feature around the head. Many also featured a scapular, which, while sometimes elaborately decorated, was not different in shape or structure than any other Religious scapular. The scapular on this sculpture has a scalloped form on the sides and appears to be crossed over the shoulder, and terminates above the knee (traditional scapulars extend to the ankles).

If this statue was not placed among other Marian statues, I would not immediately think it was a Marian statue. The color of the skirt is Marian, but skirts themselves are unusual in Marian artwork (she usually wears a robe). Holding the child is sometimes Marian, but the child appears older than usual and seems to be wearing a Bishop’s mite (an unusual head dressing for the Christ Child).

The usual “clues” that I look for in Christian art seem missing or out of place in this particular sculpture.

In fact, I would say that this statue represents St. Monica, mother of St. Augustine, Bishop of Hippo. Everything I see points to this interpretation. The older child wearing a Bishop’s mite seems to apply to St. Augustine, who converted later in life (often attributed to the prayers of St. Monica). The fact that neither bears a halo is indicative that neither is Mary or Jesus.
 
Hi David,
The Madonna and Child where the Madonna has no headdress and the child has the elaborate drapery is the Korean statue. I wonder is the child’s headdress is traditional to the Korean culture?
My mom has admired that statue for some time, and dad bought it for her for their 50th anniversary.🙂
I love the way that Mary is so often represented in a culture as a member of that culture.- our particular and universal mother.
May God bless you.
jt
 
Hi CatholicLife,

Those are all really beautiful. Thanks for sharing your collection with us. 🙂
 
jeannetherese said:
Hi David,
The Madonna and Child where the Madonna has no headdress and the child has the elaborate drapery is the Korean statue. I wonder is the child’s headdress is traditional to the Korean culture?
My mom has admired that statue for some time, and dad bought it for her for their 50th anniversary.🙂
I love the way that Mary is so often represented in a culture as a member of that culture.- our particular and universal mother.
Click to expand...
Indeed, you are correct. I have found a similar statue (with Korean attribution to Our Lady ) here. It might even be the same statue, but the Child’s headdress looks more like a crown than a mite in that photo.
 
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