Vexillum Legionis – Official Table Standard of the Legion of Mary - 33 cm - Marble, Silverplated, Enamel, Onyx - 1920-1930

Magnificent and complete Vexillum Legionis, the official table banner of the Legio Mariae (Legion of Mary).

This high-quality finished religious artifact is very popular with collectors of Catholic memorabilia and religious art.

The banner is traditionally composed with the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove at the top. Below it sits a beautifully detailed, blue enamelled Miraculous Medal with the Latin inscription.

The metal frame rests on a splendid white-veined onyx/marble pearl, mounted on a sturdy, stepped marble base. The whole is in a beautiful, authentic vintage condition with a lovely patina on the metal.

The Vexillum Legionis was specially designed for the Legion of Mary, a Catholic lay movement founded on 7 September 1921 in Dublin. The original design was created by the renowned Irish artist and interior designer Michael Campbell. Virtually all early official metal standards from the 1920s and 1930s were produced in Dublin and then distributed to chapters worldwide.

This heavy model with the onyx ball and the layered marble base hails from the early formative period of the organization (the 1920s and 1930s). These were the very first official standards produced for weekly meetings around the world. Later models (from the 1950s and 1960s) were often simpler and lighter, sometimes made with plastic or plainer metal instead of natural stone and real enamel.