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Window of the Month
Our Lady of Grace, Dearborn Heights, Michigan

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Window

Building Name: St. Mary's of Redford Church

City: Redford

Window Shape: 3 (arched)

Subject/Title of Window: Tower of Ivory

Brief Description of Subject: The clerestory windows are designed to let light into the Church and all have the same design --- a wide border of stylized lilies and three medallions. The center medallion will contain a symbol for an avocation found in the Litany of Loreto. The avocation in this window is "Ivory Tower, Pray for us."

Pictured is a tower of ivory with gold interior. The suitability of this symbol is described in the 1750 book "The Illustrated Litany of Loreto" by Franz Xavier Dornn and illuminated by the Klauber Studio. Translated in 1878 from Latin by Thomas Canon Pope:

TOWER OF IVORY
It is recorded [1Kings 10:18] "King Solomon also made a great throne of ivory, and overlaid it with the finest gold." From this it is quite evident that he held ivory in the highest estimation. The Church also, for a similar reason, quite correctly and appropriately attributes to Mary the appellation Tower of Ivory, because ivory, or the tusk of the elephant, is emblematic of exalted virtues. It is especially so in its extreme and incomparable whiteness, and this is indicative of the peerless virginity of Mary, which is still further corroborated by these words of Holy Scripture [Canticles 7:4] "Thy neck is as a tower of ivory."

Height: ~64"

Width: 36"

Tower of Ivory, Robert J. Scott
Tower of Ivory, Robert J. Scott
Tower of Ivory Illumination by Klauber Studio.
Tower of Ivory Illumination by Klauber Studio.

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