Ivory Tower

An ivory tower, as symbol of Mary, in the "Hunt of the Unicorn Annunciation" from a c. 1500 Netherlandish book of hours. For the complicated iconography, see Hortus Conclusus.

An ivory tower is a state of privileged seclusion from the practicalities of real life. An ivory tower can be a place where people choose to disconnect from the rest of the world to follow their own interests, usually mental or esoteric ones. From the 19th century, it has been used to designate an environment of intellectual pursuit disconnected from the practical concerns of everyday life. The term is often used now to refer to academia or the college and university systems. The term originated from the Biblical Song of Songs (7:4) with a different meaning and was later used as an epithet for Mary.