Odd Fellows Shelf and Mirror
ca. 1850-1900
Medium
Decorative Arts-Furniture
Classification
Decorative Arts-Furniture
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Herbert Waide Hemphill, Jr. and museum purchase made possible by Ralph Cross Johnson
Accession Number
1986.65.84A-C
Tags
About this artwork
This shelf was probably made for a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. Organizations like the Freemasons and Odd Fellows often decorated objects with fraternal symbols to remind members of their commitment to the brotherhood. In this piece the three pillars and the three-link chain represent the Odd Fellows motto---"Friendship, Love, and Truth." Only members of the order understood the symbolism of the serpent, staff, horn, and tent.