When did Catholics begin having Mary Statues in their homes

[TimothyH]

Way off topic… but I thought I might be welcome to share this here. I’ve long wanted to create some manner of Mary garden but needed to start small. Today, I planted in a container a French Lavender (represents the Flight to Egypt) with a small waterproof statue of our Blessed Virgin. As time goes on I hope to expand…

I saw two foot tall statues of Our Blessed Mother at Garden Ridge for $39 IIRC.

Right next to the tiki gods and garden gnomes.

-Tim-

 

[Jeanne_S]

Idols have been produced for thousands of years. The technology to produce a statue of Mary is hidden in antiquity.

There is certainly no requirement to have a statue of Mary in the home or in a church.

I particularly loathe the traveling statue of Our Lady of Lourdes. It depicts Mary as a crying teen. " Mary" has what would otherwise be considered plucked eyebrows. She is depicted as a white person, instead of the Palestinian that she was. She is depicted wearing clothes she probably never wore.

Some depictions of Mary are with a rosary. I’m certain Mary never said the rosary – a prayer to herself.

You sound kind of grumpy ,Crumpy

 

[grasscutter]

I saw two foot tall statues of Our Blessed Mother at Garden Ridge for $39 IIRC.

Right next to the tiki gods and garden gnomes.

-Tim-

Good to know! At our local garden centre (which is a chain owned by a Catholic family and a former provincial government official) I asked about religious statuary and the only things they had were buddhist statues and fairies.

 

[Christmastwin]

The best I can offer is that the earliest carved Christian images are on sarcophagi, at least in the west. There is a beatiful sarcophagus called the “Dogmatic Sarcophagus” or the “Sarcophagus of the Two Testaments” from 320 to 350 AD, which has very clear images of Mary carved into it.

I belive that there are sarcophagi with carved images of Jesus, Mary and Joseph from as early as 250 AD but that is from memory and I could be mistaken.

One of the most spectacular is the Sarcophagus of Junius Bassus from around 360 AD.

These sarcophagi limit the age of carved Christian art of any kind, at least in the west. Clearly, any carved images of Mary for devotional purposes would be newer.

I do not know about carved Christian artwork in the East. I recall reading about some fresco’s in Syria which picture Mary, dated around the middle of the third century, but again that is from memory and I could be mistaken.

Maybe Patrick will stick his head in the door and give us some information. He is a bit of an art historian and anyone interested might want to send him a PM.

-Tim-

After looking at that link, I did a search for more and came up with link with some gorgeous artwork! I didn’t read the essay, but the pictures are breathtaking.

ministryforwomen.org/theology/casey_02.asp

 

[QuickCat]

I never thought of my little statue as an idol, it just always reminded me of Mary. But I’ve seen people parade statues around and treat them as if they were idols. p.s. I particularly dislike a picture of Jesus I’ve seen that looks like he has eye makeup.

Ex 20:4 Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: (KJV)

Ex 20:5 Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; (KJV)

 

[pollycarp]

I think those OT verses were in regards to golden calf etc., false gods. Catholic statues are just aids to devotion to the One God, Mary and Saints. Just reminders. When I walk past my prayer corner, I’ll glance at the little Mary statue and am reminded to pray. Like when you look at a picture of a loved one and think of them and maybe even kiss it.

 

[TimothyH]

Ex 20:4 Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: (KJV)

Ex 20:5 Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; (KJV)

Given that God commanded graven images in the likenes of things that exist in heaven and on earth - pomagranties and angels - be created, and be placed in the Jerusalem temple where God himself dwelt with men, and the Israelites bowed to them, maybe a literal intepretation of “Bow down” as a physical act of bending at the waist while standing needs to be rethought.

-Tim-

 

[aragonjohn1]

Idols have been produced for thousands of years. The technology to produce a statue of Mary is hidden in antiquity.

There is certainly no requirement to have a statue of Mary in the home or in a church.

I particularly loathe the traveling statue of Our Lady of Lourdes. It depicts Mary as a crying teen. " Mary" has what would otherwise be considered plucked eyebrows. She is depicted as a white person, instead of the Palestinian that she was. She is depicted wearing clothes she probably never wore.

Some depictions of Mary are with a rosary. I’m certain Mary never said the rosary – a prayer to herself.

I have heard of Mary being excavated in rediscovered old churches in china and Japan some dating before the third century.

Shalom
God bless

 

[CatherineOH]

It is kind of like having a photo of a loved one in your home…

In my 16th century research, I ran across mentions of small shrines placed along roadsides for travelers and pilgrims. It once was that were a shrine was, there was shelter and food for a weary traveler nearby. Unfortunately, many of these (Europe in what was then Germany and France) were mentioned because protestants tore them down.

I put it to you that perhaps this habit of placing small statuary in one’s own yard is descended from this tradition to accommodate traveler’s on their way?