Description
Our Lady Untier of Knots, a Marian image from Augsburg
The devotion known as Our Lady Untier or Undoer of Knots centers on a Marian painting in St. Peter am Perlach in Augsburg, Germany. The work, attributed to Johann Georg Melchior Schmidtner, was placed there around 1700. Its long ribbon became a visual metaphor for difficulties brought to prayer and patiently entrusted to Mary’s intercession. The devotion later spread widely in Latin America and beyond, helped by the interest of Jorge Mario Bergoglio, the future Pope Francis. It is a devotional title, not the record of a Marian apparition.
Mary, the ribbon, angels and the Holy Spirit
Mary stands on a crescent with the serpent beneath her foot, wearing red and blue while she patiently loosens a white knotted ribbon. Angels present the tangled and straightened ends, making the movement from disorder toward clarity visible. Above her, the dove and rays signify the Holy Spirit. The scene adapts the established Augsburg composition: knots symbolize human difficulties, while Mary’s calm action points to intercession and faithful patience, not a magical guarantee that every problem will be removed.
Crafted on linden wood in Poland
The icon is made to order in Poland on a double-primed linden wood panel. The image is printed directly onto the prepared surface and finished with decorative gold-tone metal leaf. A certificate recording the year of production and a wall hanger are included. These are the verified construction details of a contemporary devotional work and do not claim individual hand painting.
For Marian prayer in times of difficulty
This icon is suited to a home prayer corner, chapel, counseling room or parish setting where people pray through family strain, uncertainty or difficult decisions. It can accompany the Rosary, a Marian novena or quiet intercessory prayer. Its theological meaning is sober: Christians ask Mary to pray with them and for them, while trust remains directed to God. The icon does not promise healing, reconciliation or a particular outcome.