Carved around 1880, this wooden tent comes from the Encampment Degree of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, where symbolism mattered just as much as craftsmanship. The tent represents the transitory nature of life, the idea that we’re all passing through rather than putting down permanent roots.
The carving is beautifully restrained. A tapered, conical body opens at the front with draped “flaps,” carefully shaped to suggest fabric pulled back and pinned in place. Around the top runs a scalloped band, adding just enough ornament without tipping into excess. The turned finial at the peak finishes the piece with a quiet sense of ceremony.
The original varnish has developed a rich craquelure, a fine network of age lines that only comes from time and patience. The dark, reddish-brown finish has mellowed and softened, with subtle wear that highlights the carved details rather than distracting from them.
At 17 inches tall with a diameter of 9½ inches, it has real presence without being overbearing. It reads immediately as something intentional, symbolic, and slightly mysterious. As a display object today, it works on several levels. Part fraternal history, part folk sculpture, part philosophical reminder rendered in wood.
Carved around 1880, this wooden tent comes from the Encampment Degree of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, where symbolism mattered just as much as craftsmanship. The tent represents the transitory nature of life, the idea that we’re all passing through rather than putting down permanent roots.
The carving is beautifully restrained. A tapered, conical body opens at the front with draped “flaps,” carefully shaped to suggest fabric pulled back and pinned in place. Around the top runs a scalloped band, adding just enough ornament without tipping into excess. The turned finial at the peak finishes the piece with a quiet sense of ceremony.
The original varnish has developed a rich craquelure, a fine network of age lines that only comes from time and patience. The dark, reddish-brown finish has mellowed and softened, with subtle wear that highlights the carved details rather than distracting from them.
At 17 inches tall with a diameter of 9½ inches, it has real presence without being overbearing. It reads immediately as something intentional, symbolic, and slightly mysterious. As a display object today, it works on several levels. Part fraternal history, part folk sculpture, part philosophical reminder rendered in wood.
