Record Details
Independent Order of Odd Fellows Baton
The finial of this small baton is in the form of a three-link chain, identifying it with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. It may have been intended as part of something larger. Although its function is not immediately clear, research in the pages of regalia catalogs suggests that it was used in the lodge during performed rituals, when particular lodge officers or ritual characters would carry such a baton. These catalogs, printed by companies that served the fraternal market, included images and descriptions of regalia, props, and other items that functioned within the lodges.
Stacy C. Hollander, "Independent Order of Odd Fellows Baton," 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.
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