Scottish Rite Masonic Museum & Library

Pitcher with Masonic Shrine Symbols
1900-1930
B. and Company; Ruby Lacy
France (pitcher); United States (decoration)
Porcelain
overall: 6 x 10 in.; 15.24 x 25.4 cm
Gift of Mrs. Thomas J. Vaughan
84.29

Masonic four-sided pitcher has hand-painted Shrine designs; one side shows a crescent moon and scimitar, camel, palm tree, and pyramids with a Shrine band along the bottom edge. A second side shows Shriner on camel with a group of Shriners marching along bottom edge. The third side shows a Shriner riding a camel which bites another Shriner. The fourth side shows a Shriner on a running camel with a group of Shriners and a goat wearing a fez along the bottom edge. Signed "Ruby Lacy." Painted in gold, blue, red, white, black, green, and brown. Marked on bottom, "B & CO / France."

Established in 1872, the Ancient Arabic Order Nobles of the Mystic Shrine required its members, "Nobles," to be 32º Scottish Rite Masons or Knights Templar in the York Rite. The jewel of the order is a crescent, made of claws of the Bengal tiger, united at the base in a gold setting, a sphinx on one side and a pyramid, urn, and star on the other. The crescent is shown suspended from a scimitar and with a star pendant between its curved ends.