Page 19 - nassima design 20 Years Jubilee

The famous Statue of the Black Madonna

The “Black Madonna” is the centre-piece of the Abbey at Einsiedeln in Switzerland. Carved
earlier than the year 1466, she inhabits the black marble ‘Lady Chapel’ within the Abbey,
holding the baby Jesus in her arms. Both figures are clothed in beautiful Spanish courtly
dress and richly embroidered robes, whose colours vary according to the liturgical
seasons. The figures’ faces and exposed hands are black from centuries of being darkened
by the smoke of nearby candles, the tallow and oil lamps, and the incense. The abbey of
Einsiedeln with its Marian shrine is the focus of Swiss Catholic piety and culture, as well as
an international pilgrimage site.
With much love, Sima has delivered her handmade gowns to the Abbey in 2005, 2011 and
2017. Each of the one-piece gowns were painstakingly hand-embroidered for a period of
over a year.
The second gown with royal blue and turquoise Satin was embroidered with 1000 of
sequences and symbolizes the "Miraculous Medal of the Chapel of our lady in Paris".
The 12 stars on the veil symbolize the Miraculous Medal. The river around the veil
symbolizes the holy water of Lourdes. The fish symbolizes the Christianity. The two golden
hearts on the right and left of each side of the veils in the centre symbolizes the love for
Maria and Jesus. The colours symbolizes harmony, peace and solidarity.
Should you ever be in Switzerland, take the time to visit the Abbey at Einsiedeln. It is a
sight to behold, especially with the ‘Lady Chapel’ and its famous and hope-giving Black
Madonna.

Sima standing infront of the National History Museum of Zurich in which her
blue gown is exhibited from November 2017 – January 2018.