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Masonic Butterfly Wing Souvenir Made for Harry Lindquist
ca. 1948
ALIWU RIO
Brazil: Rio de Janeiro
Frame: wood, glass; Image: glass, butterfly wings, paint
Frame: 16"h x 21-3/4"w x 1"d
Museum Purchase
2017.001

Frame: Wood with box and checkerboard inlay pattern made out of light and dark material. Image: grid arrangement of rectangular eight glass panels decorated with inscriptions, Masonic emblems and tropical scenes; colored by reverse painting (yellow, green, white, red and black) and iridescent butterfly wings behind the glass. Upper central panel decorated with a square and compasses and inscribed: "HARRY LINDQUIST / PAUL REVERE LODGE # 462 / F. AND A. M. / SAN FRANCISCO / CALIFORNIA". Upper right hand panel decorated with a modified Teutonic cross in red and inscribed: “30°-KNIGHT KADOSH”. Lower central panel decorated with an Shrine emblem in white, red and gold paint in the shape of a Shrine jewel with a scimitar, crescent, star and square jewel and inscribed: "ISLAM TEMPLE / ANCIENT ACCEPTET ORDER / OF THE MYSTIC/ ARABIC SHRINE”. Lower right hand panel decorated with an upside down triangle with a Hebrew letter in red at the center and inscribed: “14°-PERFECT ELU”. The upper left hand panel is decorated by a double-headed eagle, the symbol of the 32nd degree in white and red and inscribed “32°-MAST OF THE ROYAL SECRET”. The bottom left hand panel features a red cross decorated with a white rose and green vines and inscribed “18°-KNIGHT ROSE CROIX”. The center panels at the left and right feature tropical scenes, possibly of Rio, delineated in different colors of butterfly wings and paint. Back: Upper left, remains of label/decal, says "Charles," half missing. Bottom left corner, impressed in the wood, "INB. BRASILEIRA/ [image of a stylized crown]/ ALIWU / RIO / Made in Brazil". Green and white plastic label reads "387". Reddish stained wood back screwed into frame, some warping.


Colorful souvenirs decorated with iridescent butterfly wings and reverse-painted glass—often sold in Central and South America—were popular from the 1920s through the 1950s. Artisans in Brazil assembled this custom-made Masonic picture for Karl Harry Lindquist (1909-1985). The words and symbols on the picture outline Lindquist’s Masonic affiliations. For further information, see blog post, July 25, 2017, http://nationalheritagemuseum.typepad.com/library_and_archives/2017/07/new-to-the-collection-butterfly-wing-picture-made-for-harry-lindquist.html



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