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Design for Abou Saad Temple Jewel
1918-50
Frederick Theodore Widmer (1877-1955)
USA: Massachusetts, Boston
Watercolor on paper
Overall:4 1/2"h x 2 7/8"w
Loaned by the Grand Lodge of Masons in Massachusetts
GL2004.10961.2

Design for Abou Saad Temple Jewel. Drawing of jewel is on white paper with the roman numeral "I" handwritten in black at top. From top, illustration features the following, all outlined in black ink: green sprig of leaves; yellow banner with scrolled, v-cut ends which reads, "ABOU SAAD TEMPLE"; decorative yellow scrollwork above and below a narrow yellow bar with rounded ends bearing the letters, "A. A. O. N. M. S."; a yellow bar with upturned, v-cut ends bearing the words, "CANAL ZONE"; and decorative yellow scrollwork framing two rings connecting to yellow Shrine emblem. Emblem features double Bengal tiger claws and pharoah head with 5-point star suspended from center by three rings; pharoah's crown bears red and green dots, star bears red dots, and there are decorative patterns along claws.


Drawing of a Shrine Jewel, 1918–1950 Boston, Massachusetts Loaned by the Grand Lodge of Masons in Massachusetts, GL2004.10961 Boston jeweler Frederick T. Widmer (b. 1877) may have designed this jewel for the Shrine’s Abou Saad Temple in Panama’s Canal Zone. The crescent-shaped part of the design incorporated the Middle Eastern-inspired symbols employed by Shrine groups. The pin portion, bearing the group’s name and location, is a variation of a standard design the jeweler used for many organizations’ badges and jewels. For further information, see Newell, Aimee, et.al., "Curiosities of the Craft: Treasures from the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts Collection", 2013, p. 274-275.



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