The Icon of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary was originally displayed without any metal coverings. Adorning venerated icons of saints with garments and crowns made of precious metals is an ancient tradition in Lithuania and Poland, possibly inspired by Eastern Orthodox customs. It is believed that the Icon of Our Lady of the Gate of Dawn began to be covered with plates of gilded silver after 1670.
The covering consists of three distinct bands created at different times by different craftsmen. The first band comprises three plates crafted between 1670 and 1690, covering the head and shoulders of the Virgin Mary. Five plates of the second band, chased between 1695 and 1700, cover the chest. This second band differs from the first by its higher relief and more intricate rendering of flowers and leaves. The third band consists of the plates covering the entire lower portion of the Icon, created no later than the first third of the 18th century. In 1993, a study of the reverse side of the coverings revealed that the first and third bands were specifically crafted for this Icon, while the plates of the middle band were adapted to fit it.
Among the flowers chased into the metal, experts recognize at least ten different species of blossoms. This abundance of flora surrounding Mary is not accidental; it is a reference to the Immaculate Virgin as the hortus conclusus—the “enclosed garden” mentioned in the Song of Songs (4:12). This is a profound motif dating back to the Middle Ages.
Mary is crowned with two crowns. The lower crown is forged from a copper alloy, gilded, and dates back to around 1700. The upper crown is made of gilded silver, adorned with colored glass stones, and was created around 1750. On July 5, 1927, the Icon was crowned with new crowns blessed by Pope Pius XI. These were exact replicas of the old crowns, fashioned from gold donated by the faithful for this purpose. It was then that Our Lady of the Gate of Dawn was officially granted the title of Mother of Mercy. The fate of the crowns blessed by the Pope remains unknown; they were likely hidden at the outbreak of World War II, and their location was subsequently lost.
A large, crescent-shaped votive offering, attached at the bottom, harmoniously joins the Icon’s visual and symbolic whole. Its origin is indicated only by a mysterious inscription in Polish: “I thank Thee, Mother of God, for hearing my prayers; I beseech Thee, Mother of Mercy, keep me in Thy most holy grace and protection. WJJ, the year 1849.”