Dominican symbolism help?

[psocoptera]

Can anyone tell me what is up with these letters? AE with a superimposed V and m with a superimposed... lambda? a compass? This is a photo of a small side chapel containing the tomb of Thomas Aquinas in the Church of the Jacobins in Toulouse, and that choice of decoration clearly means something.

Comments

[crystalpyramid]

The m-thing looks like this:


I think, but I'm not sure, that it's some form of what the internet is telling me is called the "Virgin Mary monogram". It seems to be at least somewhat associated with Aquinas, anyway. With an M and a superimposed cross and maybe a carpenter's square? Or a crown? The internet is bad at having good pictures and good descriptions in the same place. Maybe it's related to this?

I would guess all the "superimposed compasses" are carpenter's squares, unless they are in fact compasses.

Maybe the AE just stands for a word beginning with AE, like aeternitas or something?

[psocoptera.livejournal.com]

Ooh, awesome research. Thanks!