1825 MASONIC FREEMASON HAND DRAWN & PAINTED SILK APRON & CERTIFICATE FRAMED

Description

1825 MASONIC APRON AND 1825 3
rd
DEGREE OF
MASONRY CERTIFICATE
BOTH GLASS FRAMED & MOUNTED
BOTH ITEMS HAVING BELONGED TO MASON
DAVID
GIFFORD
HICKS
of
BOSTON
(b. 1801, d. 1883)
MOUNT HOPE LODGE, TROY (FALL RIVER), MASSACHUSETTS
FROM THE ESTATE OF HIS DIRECT DESCENDANT
(DESCRIPTIONS OF BOTH BELOW)
RARE 1825 MASONIC APRON
GLASS FRAMED AND MOUNTED
HAND LINE DRAWN AND PAINTED SILK
HAND STITCHED
(SIMILAR TO GEORGE WASHINGTON'S HAND PAINTED APRON)
CONDITION IS VERY GOOD FOR ITS AGE (NO MAJOR DISCOLORING, TEARS OR HOLES)
FRAME MEASURES 17
3/8
” x 20
3/8
”
APRON MEASURES 12
1/2
” x 15
2/8
”
THE MASONIC APRON IS A KEY SYMBOL OF MASONRY.
IT DERIVES FROM THE WORKING APRON OF THE STONEMASON. THE FIRST GIFT A MASON RECEIVES, IT IS AN EMBLEM OF INNOCENCE, AND THE BADGE OF A FREEMASON.
THIS APRON IS ADORNED WITH A PLETHORA OF SYMBOLS OF FREEMASONRY, BEAUTIFULLY DRAWN AND COLORED BY HAND. THOSE SYMBOLS ARE:
(
TOP TO DOWN, LEFT TO RIGHT
)
THE ALL SEEING EYE AND BLAZING STAR OR RAYS OF GLORY
THE EYE OF DIVINE PROVIDENCE REPRESENTS THE ALWAYS WATCHING EYE OF GOD, WATCHING ALL ACTIONS AND THOUGHTS. THE EYE OF PROVIDENCE IS IN THE MIDST OF THE GILDED GLORY OF THE BLAZING STAR, WHICH DISPENSES BLESSINGS TO MANKIND, AND PENETRATES THE INNERMOST PARTS OF THE HUMAN HEART.
SEVEN SIX-POINTED STARS
THE NUMBER SEVEN REPRESENTS THE SEVEN LIBERAL ARTS AND SCIENCES: GRAMMAR, RHETORIC, LOGIC, ARITHMETIC, GEOMETRY, MUSIC AND ASTRONOMY. THE SIX-POINTED STAR SYMBOLIZES DIVINE PROVIDENCE, AND THE STAR OF DAVID.
THE SUN
AS A SOURCE OF LIGHT IT REMINDS THE MASON OF THAT INTELLECTUAL ENLIGHTENMENT OF WHICH HE IS IN CONSTANT SEARCH.
THE MOON
THE MOON GOVERNS AND RULES THE NIGHT. MANY LODGES DURING THE 18th AND EARLY 19th CENTURIES MET NEAR THE TIME OF THE FULL MOON, WHEN THERE WAS LITTLE TO NO STREET LIGHTING, AND THE MOONLIGHT WOULD HELP MANY MASONS GET HOME.
PILLARS OF BOAZ & JACHIN
THE PILLARS BOAZ AND JACHIN WERE AT THE ENTRANCE PORCH OF KING SOLOMON'S TEMPLE, THE LEFT PILLAR MEANS "IN STRENGTH", AND THE RIGHT PILLAR MEANS "GOD WILL ESTABLISH". THE GLOBE ON THE TOP OF THE LEFT PILLAR REPRESENTS EARTH; AND THE ONE ON THE RIGHT, HEAVEN. THESE PILLARS ARE THE COLUMNS OF THE SENIOR AND JUNIOR WARDENS. (AN EARLIER USE OF THE TWO PILLARS WAS “THE PILLARS OF ENOCH”, WHICH WERE ERECTED SO THAT THE PRINCIPLES OF THE ARTS AND SCIENCES MIGHT NOT BE LOST TO MANKIND. ENOCH MADE ONE OF MARBLE TO WITHSTAND FIRE, AND THE OTHER OF BRASS TO RESIST WATER. THE GLOBES SYMBOLIZE UNITY, PEACE AND PLENTY.)
THE DOVE
NOAH’S MESSENGER SYMBOLIZES PURITY AND INNOCENCE.
THE ANCHOR AND THE ARK
THE ANCHOR AND THE ARK ARE EMBLEMS OF A WELL-GROUNDED HOPE AND A WELL-SPENT LIFE.THE ARK IS PICTURED AS NOAH’S ARK, AND
SAFELY CARRIES THE PASSENGER OVER THIS TEMPEST-TOSSED LIFE.
24-INCH GAUGE
IT IS REPRESENTATIVE OF THE 24 HOURS OF THE DAY.
SWORD POINTING TO A NAKED HEART
THIS DEMONSTRATES THAT JUSTICE WILL SOONER OR LATER OVERTAKE US ALL.
THE BEEHIVE
THE BEEHIVE SYMBOLIZES HARD WORK, AND THE NEED FOR MASONS TO WORK TOGETHER.
HOURGLASS WITH WINGS
THE HOURGLASS IS AN EMBLEM OF MORTALITY; THE WINGS REPRESENT THE FLEETING PASSAGE OF TIME.
JACOB'S LADDER
JACOB SAW THE LADDER IN A VISION ASCENDING FROM EARTH TO HEAVEN. THE THREE RUNGS ARE LABELED
F
AITH,
H
OPE, AND
C
HARITY.
THE TWO ASHLARS, ROUGH AND PERFECT
TWO QUARRY STONES THAT REPRESENT WHAT WE HAVE BEEN, AND WHAT WE HOPE TO BE. ROUGH, RUDE AND IMPERFECT SHAPED TO A MORE PERFECT PERSON THROUGH FAITH, EDUCATION, CULTURE AND DISCIPLINE.
CIRCLE WITH PARALLEL LINES
NO ONE KNOWS IT’S MEANING, BUT IT IS A CIRCLE BETWEEN TWO PARALLEL LINES, WITH A BIBLE OR VOLUME OF SACRED LAW ABOVE.
MOSAIC PAVEMENT
IT IS A REPRESENTATION OF THE GROUND FLOOR OF KING SOLOMON'S TEMPLE. THE PAVEMENT IS LIKE HUMAN LIFE, CHECKERED WITH GOOD AND EVIL.
BURNING TAPERS
LIKE THE THREE PRINCIPAL LODGE OFFICERS, THE THREE TAPERS REFER TO THE THREE STATIONS OF THE SUN: RISING IN THE EAST (WORSHIPFUL MASTER), MERIDIAN IN THE SOUTH (JUNIOR WARDEN), AND SETTING IN THE WEST (SENIOR WARDEN).
SQUARE AND COMPASS
THE SQUARE REPRESENTS MORALITY, THE COMPASS THEN MEASURES CONDUCTING ACTIONS WITHIN MORAL BOUNDS.
HOLY BIBLE
THE HOLY BIBLE IS THE GREAT LIGHT OF FREEMASONRY.
47th PROBLEM OF EUCLID
THIS IS ALSO KNOWN AS THE PYTHAGOREAN THEOREM, WHICH HELPS TO KEEP YOUR LIFE IN ORDER. IT IS THE METHOD FREEMASONS SHOULD FOLLOW WHEN LAYING FOUNDATIONS WITH A SOLID INFRASTRUCTURE.
THE TROWEL
IT SYMBOLIZES SPREADING THE CEMENT OF BROTHERLY LOVE AND AFFECTION.
THE PLUMB
IT IS A DEVICE WITH A STRING AND A WEIGHT AT THE BOTTOM (CALLED A PLUMB BOB) TO HELP DETERMINE IF A WALL OR SURFACE IS LEVEL. THE PLUMB LINE ALWAYS POINTS TO BOTH THE CENTER OF THE EARTH AND TO THE HEAVENS. IT’S A SYMBOL OF JUSTICE, RECTITUDE, UPRIGHTNESS, EQUITY, AND TRUTH. IT IS
THE MASONIC JEWEL OF THE JUNIOR WARDEN, A REMINDER TO WALK UPRIGHTLY BEFORE GOD AND MAN.
THE SETTING MAUL
IT IS USED FOR SETTING STONES, TAPPING THEM TO A FIRM SEAT IN THE MORTAR OR INTO PLACE.
THE POT OF INCENSE
THE POT OF INCENSE IS AN EMBLEM OF A PURE HEART. THE MASONIC POT OF INCENSE IS ASSOCIATED WITH PRAYER.
THE LAUREL SPRIG
THE LAUREL, COMMONLY USED IN VICTORY WREATHS, PLAYS AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN THREE MASONIC DEGREES. IT IS PROMINENTLY DISPLAYED ON THE APRON AND IT SIGNIFIES THE HOPEFUL EXPECTATION OF SUCCESS IN THE SEARCH FOR THE TRUE WORD, AND THE GOOD OPINION MASONIC BRETHREN HAVE FOR EACH OTHER. IT IS ALSO USED IN THE CEREMONY, SYMBOLIZING VICTORY OVER THE PASSIONS.
THE LEVEL
THE LEVEL IS THE MASONIC JEWEL OF THE SENIOR WARDEN, IT SYMBOLIZES EQUALITY, AND IS A REMINDER THAT WE ARE ALL TRAVELING UPON THE LEVEL OF TIME.
THE SILK APRON IS LIGHT BEIGE IN COLORATION, WITH A THIN STRIP OF LIGHT BLUE GREEN SILK AT THE TOP EDGE, AND A BLACK SILVERY ROPE CORD AROUND THE SIDES AND BOTTOM EDGES.
FRAMED BY BIGELOW & JORDAN, BOSTON, MASS.
HANGING WIRE ON BACK
APRON VINTAGE RE-FRAME 20 3/8” x 17 3/8” OVERALL DIMENSIONS
1825 3
rd
DEGREE OF
MASONRY CERTIFICATE
FRAME MEASURES 15” x 19.5”
CERTIFICATE IS 12” x 16.5”
CONDITION SHOWS DISCOLORATION & SPOTTING FROM AGE- RIBBONS DETAILS ARE FADED
CERTIFICATE FROM THE GRAND LODGE OF MASSACHUSETTS ADMITTING DAVID G. HICKS OF MT. HOPE LODGE TO THE THIRD DEGREE OF MASONRY, OCTOBER 10, 1825.
SIGNED BY GRAND MASTER JOHN ABBOT, ESQ., AND OTHER LODGE OFFICERS.
CERTIFICATE SHOWS 3 COLUMNS STANDING ON A TRIANGULAR CHECKERED MOSAIC PAVEMENT FLOOR AND ARCHITECTURAL PODIUM, WITH TWO SCROLLS SUSPENDED BETWEEN THE BACK COLUMN AND THE FRONT TWO COLUMNS. AT THE TOP OF THE COLUMNS ARE FEMALE ALLEGORICAL FIGURES REPRESENTING FAITH, HOPE, AND CHARITY. IN THE CLOUDS ABOVE IS THE RADIANT ALL SEEING EYE OF PROVIDENCE. THE WRITING ON THE LEFT SCROLL IS IN ENGLISH, THE WRITING ON THE RIGHT SCROLL IS MIRRORED IN LATIN. THREADED VERTICALLY THROUGH THE LEFT SIDE OF THE DOCUMENT IS A LIGHT BLUE RIBBON WITH THE SEAL OF THE GRAND LODGE.
ENGRAVED CERTIFICATE BY:
PENNIMAN & MILLS AND ANNIN & SMITH
FRAMED BY BIGELOW & JORDAN, BOSTON, MASS.
HANGING WIRE ON BACK
ORIGINAL PAPER BACKING HAS LARGE TEARS AND AN OLD CLEAR TAPE FIX
CERTIFICATE ORIGINAL FRAME 19.5” x 15”  OVERALL DIMENSIONS
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