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Artist unidentified, “Fraternal Owl Staff,” Probably Pennsylvania, 1875–1925, Paint on gold lea…
Fraternal Owl Staff
Artist unidentified, “Fraternal Owl Staff,” Probably Pennsylvania, 1875–1925, Paint on gold lea…
Artist unidentified, “Fraternal Owl Staff,” Probably Pennsylvania, 1875–1925, Paint on gold leaf on wood, 72 1/2 × 3 1/2 × 2 7/8 in., Collection American Folk Art Museum, New York, Gift of Kendra and Allan Daniel, 2015.1.141. Photo by José Andrés Ramírez.
Record Details

Fraternal Owl Staff

Date1875–1925
MediumPaint on gold leaf on wood
Dimensions72 1/2 × 3 1/2 × 2 7/8"
Credit LineGift of Kendra and Allan Daniel
Accession number2015.1.141
Description

Although the history of this staff is lost, it is tempting to speculate that it was used in a “nest” of the fraternal group known as the Order of Owls. The order was formed in South Bend, Indiana, in 1904, and sought to help its members in business and with employment, to provide assistance to the widows and orphans of members, and to offer mutual fellowship. By the early 1920s, the group numbered more than 600,000 members. 

Stacy C. Hollander, "Fraternal Owl Staff," exhibition label for Mystery and Benevolence: Masonic and Odd Fellows Folk Art from the Kendra and Allan Daniel Collection. Stacy C. Hollander, curator. New York: American Folk Art Museum, 2016.

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated with new research. Records are reviewed and revised, and the American Folk Art Museum welcomes additional information. 

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