Virgo | Zodiac Tile

This Virgo Tile features the iconic maiden holding two flowers in her delicate hand. 

Historically, the Virgo maiden was depicted holding wheat in Pagan symbolism. The wheat imagery can be traced back to Egypt where the sun being in Virgo marked the beginning of the wheat harvest. In other pagan cultures wheat represented a fertility or harvest goddess, which brought cycles of new growth and harvest, life and death. Along with the sheaf of wheat, the maiden on this tile holds a white lily. Often, Virgo and the maiden are linked to Christianity where she is likened to Mary, mother of Christ, for her chastity and purity. Because of this connection the Virgo maiden can sometimes be seen holding a white lily symbolizing purity. Our Virgo Tile, and every tile in the Zodiac Collection, was designed and sculpted by Pewabic Designer Chris Mayse. In his words, “the inclusion of both symbols in one image represents old and the new just as the Harvest Goddess, the Virgo maiden, is likened to represent the cycles of harvest and new life.”

Pewabic co-founder Mary Chase Perry Stratton visited Europe in 1924 to gain inspiration for a large tile installation in the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, DC. Visiting sacred spaces in Portugal, Spain, and Italy, Mary was inspired by the crossover of astrology and religion in ancient architecture. Throughout her career, she utilized astrological symbols in her installations in religious spaces and as decoration on vessels.

• 4” x 4”
• Handcrafted in Detroit
• Individually hand-pressed in our own stoneware and glazed by Pewabic artisans
• Pewabic logo stamped on back
• Slight variations in glaze and firing results ensure each handcrafted Pewabic piece is one of a kind 
• Available in Emerald
• Check out the other tiles in the Zodiac Collection