i8o FLORAL SYMBOLISM 



representation of the subject so far given to 

 the world, and the kneeling angel with the 

 sweeping wings carries in his left hand a heavy 

 stalk of lilium candidum. 



It is interesting to trace the evolution of 

 the straight smooth stick which the angel held 

 in the earliest representations of the Annuncia- 

 tion into the natural branch of lilies carried 

 by the typical Announcing Angel of Christian 

 art. First we find upon the wand the three- 

 pointed fieur-de-lys, which from the days of the 

 Assyrians had ornamented the royal sceptre. 

 The heavenly herald bore a wand ornamented 

 with the royal symbol when he brought a message 

 from the Lord of the Universe to the Maiden 

 of the House of David, who was to be the Mother 

 of His Son. Gradually the fleur-de-lys gained 

 some likeness to the natural lily. The sceptre 

 was made of ivory. It was white. Two leaves 

 appeared wreathing the stick. Midway in the 

 transformation are the lilies carried by the 

 lovely choir of seated angels in a picture by 

 Guariento.' Each angel holds in his left hand 

 an orb and in the right a straight lily stem with 



' Museum of Padua. 



I 



