Drill Performance Trophies of
St. Bernard Commandery No. 35
Earned
at Triennial Conclaves of the Grand Encampment
This ornate, 76 cm (30 inch) tall trophy ,
crafted by San Francisco's famous George C. Shreve & Co. jewelers, was awarded
to St. Bernard Commandery No. 35 for their third place
drill performance
at the Grand
Encampment's 22nd
Triennial Conclave in 1883 at San Francisco.
The competition was held in Golden Gate Park.
The trophy includes a revolving silver globe, 25.4 cm (10 inch) in diameter,
upon which are traced the borders of the American states, with California - the
"Golden State" - inlaid in solid gold. Atop the globe is an armoured
knight, his sword drawn. Standing 20.3 cm (8 in.) tall, the knight is and made
of pure gold and silver.
On the base are many beautiful devices. To the viewer’s right is an olde-tyme
castle, built of solid blocks of silver and polished gold-bearing quartz from
California. Opposite the castle stand three Christian pilgrim warriors’ tents,
and in the front, three of our ancient fratres leading a crusade to the
Terra
Sancta, the “Holy Land” to redeem the tomb of our Saviour from the power of
the infidels and to relieve the brethren from oppression, tyranny and wrong.
Between the tents and the castle stands the banner of our order,
flanked by two
beaucéants. The tents, beaucéants, banner, and
templar armour are fashioned from silver.
The base supporting the whole is of bronze and silver. The medallion in the
centre contains an engraving of three leaders of the First Crusade, on
horseback. The medallion to the viewer’s left depicts the emblem of the
Illustrious Order of the Red Cross within a seven-pointed star. The medallion
opposite depicts the emblem of the Order of Malta
within a nine-pointed star. The two emblems
are crafted of gold-bearing quartz and ore specimens. The base is guarded by two
grizzly bears
of silver; the California grizzly bear
is the State Animal of California and is depicted on the state flag.
The photograph to the left shows the trophy in 1986
when we lent it to the Oakland Museum
of California
for their exhibition, "Silver in the Golden State" The image was taken by
Stephen Rahn for the companion book to the exhibition, Leslie Greene Bowman &
Edgar W. Morse's Silver in the Golden State: images and essays celebrating
the history and art of silver in California, Oakland, California: Oakland
Museum History Dept. (1986).
Photo credit to Southeby's Auction Catalog dtd January 20th and 21st, 2012
This silver
brick was awarded to St. Bernard
Commandery as the first place trophy for the triennial conclave’s 10 August 1892
drill competition at Denver.
The trophy contains 470.5 ounces
of silver from the mines of Colorado, handsomely engraved and showing Mount of
the Holy Cross and other mountain scenery in bas-relief.
The mountain was also featured
on postcards of the 1913 Triennial in Denver.
Sotheby's
Catalog Description
25TH
TRIENNIAL CONCLAVE AT DENVER, CO. 1892. An
engraved American silver ingot, presumably Denver, dated 1892
slightly rounded rectangular, the top engraved "Presented to
St. Bernard Commandery No. 35 Chicago, For Efficiency in Exhibition Drill,
Denver, August 10th, 1892." the front engraved with a view of the Mountain of
the Holy Cross, one end with the badge of the Knights Templar, the other
engraved "Chamber of Commerce Committee: W.R. Harp - Edward Eddy / E. Monash -
Geo. W. Cook / S.M. Allen - Chas. D. Cobb / W.W. Anderson."
apparently unmarked -- length 8 1/4 in. -- 21cm -- 470oz 10dwt --
14,633g
Estimate:
15,000 —
25,000 USD
LOT SOLD. 40,625 USD
Photo credit to Southeby's Auction Catalog dtd January 20th and 21st, 2012
This punch
bowl (including serving tray, cups and
antler ladle) was awarded to St. Bernard Commandery as the first place trophy
for the 29th triennial conclave’s drill competition at San Francisco in 1904.
Sold at auction of Important Americana:
Furniture, Folk Art, Silver, Porcelain, Prints and Carpets' held at Sothebys,
New York on 20 & 21 January 2012.
Sotheby's
Catalog Description
29TH
TRIENNIAL CONCLAVE AT SAN FRANCISCO, CA, 1904: AN AMERICAN SILVER AND COPPER
"INDIAN" PUNCH BOWL, STAND AND LADLE, ATTRIBUTED TO JOSEPH HEINRICH, NEW YORK,
RETAILED BY HAMMERSMITH & FIELD, SAN FRANCISCO, dated 1904
the circular stand in hammered copper etched with geometric
motifs, applied with silver rim and "tails", silver-bound horn handles with
arrowhead terminals, the copper bowl with row of arrowheads on the foot, the rim
applied with central silver and copper shields over trophies of weapons
including axes and spears, flanked by bear pelts and patinated Indian-head
handles with braids and feathers, gilt interior, applied with enameled badges
and "29th Tirennial Conclave" - "San Francisco 1904.", the stag-horn ladle with
etched designs and silver bands. Together with two matching silver-bound copper
punch cups;
5 pieces.
all stamped
Hammersmith & Field / Silver and Copper
length of bowl over handles 24 in.; length of stand 30 in.
76.2 cm
Estimate:
150,000 — 250,000
LOT SOLD.
314,500 USD
Photo credit to Southeby's Auction Catalog dtd January 20th and 21st, 2012
This punch bowl and ladle was
awarded to St. Bernard Commandery No. 35 Knights Templar as the first place trophy for the 30th
triennial conclave’s 10 July 1907 drill competition at Saratoga Springs, New
York.
Sotheby's
Catalog Description
30th
Triennial Conclave at Saratoga Springs, NY. An American silver and enamel
"Knights Templar" presentation punch bowl and ladle, Gorham Mfg. Co,
Providence, RI, 1907
borders of laurel and oves,
chased with acanthus, etched on one side "First Prize 30th Triennial Conclave
- Won by St. Bernard Commandery #35 K.T. - Saratoga Springs, N.Y. July 10th,
1907 Score 96.4," the other side with names of the participants, flanked by
enameled badges and garlands of fruit and flowers, gilt interior, the handles
topped by knight's helmets with plumes, matched on the ladle above enameled
shield, japanned wood base, marked on bases and coded LXX (bowl) and LXY
(ladle), length over handles 22in., height including base 15in., --
55.7cm, 38cm -- 215oz 10dwt -- 6705g
LOT SOLD.
20,000 USD
Photo credit to Southeby's Auction Catalog dtd January 20th and 21st, 2012
This trophy was
awarded to St. Bernard Commandery as the fifth place prize for the 35th
triennial conclave’s 26 April 1922 drill competition at New Orleans, Louisiana.
Cast of sterling silver by Reed
& Barton, the trophy features a bowl supported by a column, the capital of which
is a composite of three prominent ionic scrolls above a simplified Corinthian
relief. A trio of palm trees ring the column and provide further structure under
the bowl.
Two of the bowl's sides are engraved
with scenes representative of Louisiana: a pair of orange growers picking their
crop from a large tree, and a field of oil wells. The third side reads:
35th Triennial Conclave
of the
Grand Encampment
of
Knights Templar
of the
United States of America
New Orleans La.
April 25-26-27 1922
The base was engraved by the
C ommandery, with the names of the fratres in the victorious drill corps who took
the field that day:
B.L. Purinton, Capt.; N.J.
Kissick, 1st Lt.; A.W. Rathbun, 2nd Lt.; R.A. Connell, 1st Sgt.; E.A. Dorner,
2nd Sgt.; D.A. Smalley, 3rd Sgt.; R.A. Bechstrin, 4th Sgt; V. I. Chinlumd, J.B.
Eckstedt, J.H. Brothersen, W.A. Harders, H. M. Lehman, D.B. Hutchinson, V.H.W.C.
Martin, G.M. Rhode, G.R. Buck, S.R. Benner, Lee W. Peterson, W.M. Swatek, A.E.
Rathbun, R.R. Harders, M.D. Smith, C.F. Thorssell, C.L. Studders, R.L. Meyer,
R.L. Ketcham.
Extras
H.T. Bowers, M.E. Fuller, J.C. Lind, F.W. Ladenburger, S.C. Sheppard, F.
Thompson
Catalog Description
35TH TRIENNIAL CONCLAVE AT
NEW ORLEANS, LA. American Silver Trophy, Reed & Barton, Taunton, MA, dated 1922
bound bamboo rim, the central column stem flanked by three
palmetto trees, the bowl engraved "35th Triennial Conclave of the Grand
Encampment of Knights Templar of the United States of America, New Orleans,
La., April 25-26-27 1922" and with scenes of "Oil Wells" and "Orange
Picking," the base with participants' names, the japanned wood base with
presentation plaque topped by bales of cotton marked underneath and
numbered 61031 A, height of trophy 21 3/4; height overall 28in. --
55.2cm, 71.2 cm -- 107oz -- 3328g
12,000
— 18,000 USD
Photo credit to Southeby's Auction Catalog dtd January 20th and 21st, 2012
The
items above were placed with Sotheby's for auction. Some were sold and
some did not sell. This Commandery also won other drill performance
trophies that have yet to be pictured. You can peruse the Sotheby's
Catalog about the above pieces at the link below:
http://www.sothebys.com/content/dam/sothebys/PDFs/Flippable/N08823/index.html#/42/
You can also visit the website of St. Bernard Commandery
No. 35 at the link below to see additional drill trophies they won:
http://www.chicagoyorkrite.org/commandery/CommanderyTrophies.html
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