King Solomon Style of Furniture...???

Stuart Ablett

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OK, I know there are a few Masons on this board, but I'd like input from all, I've been contacted to have a chat with the guys down at one of the Masonic Lodges on one of the US military bases here, seems they are starting a new lodge on another base, or something, and they will need some new furniture, and they said "In the King Solomon" style...... :dunno:

I imagine is it all rather heavy masculine over sized stuff, yes I've been in a few Masonic Lodges, so I have an idea.

Does anyone have an idea of this style...?

Right now we are just at the talking stage, I'll be meeting with them when I visit the buddy that introduced me to them on the July 6th weekend, and I'd like to have some idea before I go.

Cheers!
 
Mason here.......:wave:

I'm not the best at describin Stu, I'm more of a blueprint/picture kinda guy.

If you aren't in a huge hurry, I'd be happy to take some pictures of the furniture in our lodge for you.
 
Stu,
in the lodges I've visited, the furniture tends toward Craftsman or Mission style mixed in with ornate church style for the officers, my own lodge certainly has that flavor.

Yup, found a shot, this is the Worshipful Master (president of the lodge) at a recent awards night
rwdave3.jpg


and the officers of the lodge with the award recipients:
664line2.jpg

The chair to my left (picture right) is typical of the furnishings. I don't have a shot of the altar, but it is dark mission stained quarter sawn white oak.
 
The furniture in my Lodge is early non-descript. So, can't help there. English lodges tend to run more traditional than many in America. I have a feeling if you contacted Brothers in the U.K. some ideas would come along. I have been trying to research Biblical era furniture with the possibility of a book in mind. e.g. What would Jesus make? But information is scant. Somewhere, I have a floppy disk with some old style chairs on it. If I find, I'll post some pics for send to you. Good luck with the project.
 
I've never heard about that furniture style. However if there is a style that can be described as mason style I'd like to know about it.

After all the Shakers were another type of religious society, and they developed the Shaker furniture style so favoured by many people.

Somewhere I must have a book about different furniture styles, I'll look it down to see what I can find.
 
Stu,

Everything I know about the Masons, I learned from Mozart's The Magic Flute, so color me ignorant on this one. I suspect the group has evolved substantially since then... ;)

Still, you may find some hints here:

http://www.phoenixmasonry.org/historypage.htm

Some good pictures to help your research (after long scrolling), and an interesting quote: " In all the rich symbolism of Ancient Craft Masonry two symbols, or symbolic themes, predominate. One is the "Search for Light"; the other is the "Labor of Building". "

More here: http://www.freemasons-freemasonry.com/king_solomon_temple.html

here:

www.lodgesirjosephbanks.com/Documents/Talk No 8 THE FURNITURE OF A LODGE.pdf

Here:

http://www.scripturecatholic.com/apprentice_third_section.html

and here:

http://www.jstor.org/sici?sici=0887-9885(1995)5<26:TMLR1A>2.0.CO;2-7&cookieSet=1

You may wish to poke around in the masonic dictionary:

http://www.masonicdictionary.com/acacia.html

But good luck finding a ready supply of Acacia in Tokyo... ;)

Rumor has it the city I'm typing from was laid out on Masonic principles (as well as many of the buildings, including the Capitol). But extrapolating from that might be tough... ;)

Thanks,

Bill
 
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Bill,
I'll have to look at those later on when I'm not working, but one thing that has come up in my Lodge recently is that the building where we meet is just a building. The Lodge is the brotherhood and the fellowship we have together. It is nice for the building to be comfortable, but I'd meet with my Lodge if we had to sit on cafeteria style chairs in a rented space somewhere. Indeed, we have done something similar when it was bitterly cold in winter, instead of heating the lodge room, which you can see has very tall ceilings, we met instead down in the basement dining room, a lot cheaper to heat that (which we do anyway to keep the pipes from freezing) vs the main lodge room.

And not to hijack this thread, but I'm certain there are a lot of Masonic influences in D.C. as well as most of the older colonial-age cities, Philly, Boston etc...
 
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Here You Go...

This description of Solomon's furniture is from 1 Kings, 10:18-20 KJV

"Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory, and overlaid it with the best gold.

The throne had six steps, and the top of the throne was round behind: and there were stays on either side on the place of the seat, and two lions stood beside the stays.

And twelve lions stood there on the one side and on the other upon the six steps: there was not the like made in any kingdom. "


Some imported ivory, a stone mason, a few talents of gold and a couple good carvers...you are there! :rofl:
 
Stu, I haven't forgotten (unless you already have the info you need) our Lodge doesn't meet until September. I can take pictures then if you still need them.
 
Thanks Steve, that would be great.

I've yet to meet the guy, we have just passed e-mail, and I'm just too busy right now anyway, so I bet that September would be just fine! :thumb:

Cheers!
 
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