Featured Window

Our Lady of Grace, Dearborn Heights, Michigan

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MSGC : Collections : Window

Window

Building Name: St. Florian Catholic Church

Studio Name: Mayer (Franz) and Company

City: Hamtramck

Window Shape: 3 (arched)

Date of Window: 1937

Subject/Title of Window: Crucifixion

Brief Description of Subject: Description: Floral background is grapes and grape leaves -- symbolizing "I (Christ) am the true vine" from John 15:1 or the grapes could symbolize the blood of Christ. Top of window is a quatrefoil containing a Pelican feeding its young with its own blood -- symbolizes Christ shedding his blood for us. On top of cross is the initial INRI -- from John 19:19 inscription on cross per instructions of Pontius Pilate. In art, this representation of the resurrection is called "Stabat Mater" which means standing Mary (as opposed to a kneeling or prone Mary). The Stabat Mater usually, as here, has Mary to the right of the cross and John the Evangelist  to left. John has a book signifying a gospel writer. Mary Magdalene is at the feet of Jesus. Below the cross is a skull. In iconography this is the skull of Adam -- in Christian liturgy, the penalty of Adam's sin was expulsion from Eden and human death; Christ had to die for that sin and resurrect so that we may again have eternal life. The Quatrefoil at the bottom contains instruments involved in the crucifixion -- hammer for putting in nails, pincer for removing nails, a lance to pierce his side, and  ladder with a stick with a brush used to give Christ vinegar and gall or it is a scourge.

Inscriptions: INRI ( intials of Iesus Nazarenus Rex Iedaeorum -- Jesus of Nazareth King of the Jews)
S(wietej P(amieci) AGACIE I WLad(yslaw) SATAWA JAN SATAWA RODZINA
(Donated by) The family of John Satawa in memory of Agatha and Walter Satawa.
F.MAYER
MUNICH37
NEW YORK


Height: 11'

Width: 3'

The MSGC is a constantly evolving database. Not all the data that has been collected by volunteers has been sorted and entered. Not every building has been completely documented.

All images in the Index are either born-digital photographs of windows or buildings or are scans of slides, prints, or other published sources. These images have been provided by volunteers and the quality of the material varies widely.

If you have any questions, additions or corrections, or think you can provide better images and are willing to share them, please contact donald20@msu.edu