Expert: J.M.J. West - 8/3/2008

Question
Dear Mr West,
I recently visited the beautiful Dubrovnik cathedral where I encountered in the sculptural frame of an altarpiece a figure I cannot quite place.
It is a swan, its head bend down to the chest apparently having inflicted a wound on itself. From the wound pours blood which two doves are drinking or they might be trying to stop the flow.
I cannot think of a fitting biblical reference and even though I researched the web on swan imagery the whole picture still eludes me.

Your help would be greatly appreciated.
Kind regards,
Sarah

Answer
Sarah,

Thank you for the intriguing question!  I've been puzzling over it in my spare time for a few days now, and unfortunately I don't have much to report.  It's not imagery I'm terribly familiar with.  I'll muse here for a minute and ask a few questions...I'm intrigued to get to the bottom of this!

The swan might represent Christ, as swans are often thought to be symbols of grace and beauty (their pristine whiteness might hearken to the "spotless lamb" of Christ).  Has it wounded itself, or could it be nursing it's wound?

Are the two doves drinking two separate streams or from the same stream?  Doves are often symbols of the Holy Spirit in scripture (John 1:32), and when Christ died, blood and water poured forth from his side (John 19:34).

This was framing an altar?  Was there anything else there?

Curiously yours and Peace of Christ,

-J.M.J. West