THE FLOWERS OF THE VIRGIN 201 



offer golden vases filled with lilies and roses. 

 The angels have searched Paradise for its most 

 precious flowers and have chosen those which 

 symbolize purity and divine love. As the 

 symbol of divine love the roses are very appro- 

 priately mixed with the lilies in the vase which 

 Ghirlandaio ' places on the lowest step of the 

 Madonna's throne. He has also added the 

 starry wild white campion which closely re- 

 sembles jasmine, a flower never definitely ac- 

 corded to the Queen of Heaven by the symbolists 

 of the Church, but its clear starlike form bringing 

 to mind both her title Stella Maris and the 

 starry crown described by Saint John, painters 

 frequently use it, and white flowers of the same 

 shape, as her attribute. 



But the appearance of the jasmine in the 

 Madonna pictures may in part be owing to some 

 confusion between the jasmine and the myrtle, 

 for the latter was quite definitely one of the 

 Virgin's flowers and is even used when address- 

 ing her in metaphor. 



' myrtle tree of Paradise 

 So richly hung with fruit.' ' 



' Ufi&zi, Florence. ' Goldene Schmiede. 



