Featured Symbology of Ex Libris

Wondering what the symbology adds up to here, if anything. The owner was a member of the Presbyterian church, if that helps.

 

@Ex Libris .........

 

Most of those bookplates are very personal, so often it is difficult to find out the exact meaning. Maybe if you try to find out more about the person itself and go from there.

Further is everything from my side nothing more then a wild guess. It is an American owner? Then the ship in the background could hint to the Mayflower?

 

The owner was American. It could be. Very interesting lady. She was heavily involved in trying to free Chinese women from sexual slavery in one of the nations large chinatowns in the late 19th century.

 

Seems like standard symbols of wisdom and learning to me. Chiron the centaur, an owl of Athena, a scroll. Ship could be a symbol of exploration, ie learning.

The sun/halo could indicate divine. I don't recognize the woman as a particular person though.

 

Since the owner was Presbyterian, which is of Scottish origin, I wonder if the lady is Margaret of Denmark, 15th century queen of Scotland.

"She became a popular queen in Scotland and was described as beautiful, gentle, and sensible."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margaret_of_Denmark,_Queen_of_Scotland#References

Maybe "sensible" is depicted by the owl, for wisdom?
The ship could mean that she came from across the sea, from Denmark.
Her headdress is earlier than 15th century, but not every artist knows costume history. And Medieval is Medieval, right?

 

I was thinking a saint, but I don’t think that’s a halo, it’s incomplete. Setting sun, maybe?

 

It's definitely at least the sun, but the positioning of her head is good design and I could see an artist using it as a halo. Her costume is so loosely medieval "style" to me that I can't figure who they meant, if any particular person. I'd be tempted to call her a sibyl or maybe an embodiment of literature. Or just a fancy lady who likes to read.

 

It would be helpful to see the entire piece.

Debora

 

One of my favorite buildings... St. Margaret's Chapel at Edinburgh Castle.

Debora

 

The Chiron figure on top may indicate owner was a Sagittarius. My overall sense is that the message is even if you are locked away from the world, reading can bring you wisdom & take you to faraway places. Candles at the sides are for illumination, metaphorically.

 

Yeah, books are a vessel to distant shores.

Debora

 

I love old bookplates!

I wonder if this is the artist's signature in the lower right corner:

 

The pattern on her costume could be interpreted as a shamrock.

Debora

 

I wonder if these people can help figure it out:
https://bookplate.org/

 

It warms the heart, doesn't it. Very special.