Gavel

Object Name:

Gavel

Object ID:

1966.545.211

Date:

1894

Description:

Gavel. Head made of wood from USS Kearsarge; handle made of wood from Mount Vernon, VA. Turned wood. Head is turned at each face with a ring that tapers outward to an octagonal-shaped body. On top of head is a light angular wood inlay. Body is medium brown. On bottom of head is a circular inlay (lighter color) with a square inlay (darker color) inside of it. On flat surface opposite handle above nameplate is inlaid cross with equal arms and below nameplate is 6-pointed star. On side of handle at end are three rectangular inlays approximately 1.2 inches long by 1 inch wide. Top inlay is brass. Bottom inlay is darker wood. The ones on the sides are light-colored wood. Handle is light-colored wood. Nameplate is set into a groove around center of head and it wraps a little more than 3/4 of circumference; it is 0.55" wide and has clipped corners. Four lines of text: "Presented to / GRAND CHANCELLOR H. W. HARMON / BY C. B. HOYT OCT * 17 * 1894 / WOOD FROM U. S. S. KEARSARGE". At both ends of plate is a small decoration around flat nail head and some decoration across top, across clipped corner, down end, across clipped corner.

Material:

Wood

Dimensions:

W-3 L-8.9 D-1.2 inches

Provenance:

From the Horace W. Harmon Collection. Harmon catalog entry #211: "Gavel Head from Warship Kearsarge. Handle from Mt. Vernon by CB Hoyt and Capt Entwistle of Portsmouth N.H."

Presented to Horace W. Harmon (1844-1911), Grand Chancellor, Grand Lodge of New Hampshire, Knights of Pythias, by Chauncey B. Hoyt (1865-1938) of Portsmouth, NH, fellow member of the Grand Lodge.

Credit Line:

Gift of Horace W. Harmon

People:

Harmon, Horace W. (1844-1911), Hoyt, Chauncey B. (1865-1938)

Subjects:

Gavels, Fraternal lodges, Fraternal organizations