Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1883-08-23
TEMPLAR TROPHIES.
Description of Prizes for the Compete
tive Drill.
[San Francisco Bulletin.

San Francisco Bulletin
Three of the trophies offered by California
Knights Templar, to be awarded to the best
drilled Knights during the coming Conclave,
have been completed and are now on exhibi-
tion at the store of George S. Shreve & Co.,
by whom they were manufactured The
work will be viewed with pleasure by all
lovers of art. 1t may be confidently said
that few specimens of American art can show
better workmanship than those that are for
the first time exhibited to-day. The bronze
work is undoubtedly the finest work turned
out in this country, and will be recognized
by all as unusually fine. The engraving,
manner of working the precious metals, de-
signs and modelling, show the hand of the
artist, and the trophies will probably incite
the visiting Knights to do their utmost to
carry home with them such beautiful speci-
mems of California art.
The most prominent as we'll as the finest
of the trophies is pedestal bearing mount
ed Knight in full armor. The base and cap
ital of the pedestal is of fine bronze, elegant
ly finished The designs on them are finished
with the graver, and are most beautifully
executed Around the base Of the pedestal
are shields, helmets, swords and battle axes
in bronze, all of exquisite finish. The shaft
of the pedestal is California onyx, around
which twines a grape vine with clusters OF
grapes, all of silver The silversmith's art
is here brought into play, and the silver
leaves and clusters of grapes are colOred so
as to give the natural appearance of the
objects represented. The clusters of grapes
are oxydized and are of deep and rich pur-
pie color, with various shades to represent
the different tints that are seen in grapes as
they hang from the vines. The capital is a
very fine piece of bronze work, finished
with the graver, and leaving band below
it bearing Templar designs in California
ores and engraved discs of variously colored
gold, giving California scenes, as Yosemite
Falls, and the Seal of the Grand Commandery
of California The colored metals are so
blended in one plate that when engraved
they give color to the different objects repre-
sented, and form, in fact, a metallic mosaic.
The pedestal was one of the finest specimens
of bronze, gold and silver work that has
ever been exhibited. 1t represents mount
ed Knight Templar in full armor, and stands
about foot and One-half high. The horse
is of fiuest bronze and is most elegantly fin
ished, the name and tail being so treated
with the graver that it seems as if every
hair is brought out. The position selected
is graceful, yet full of action, and the mus
cles of the fianks are seen in state of nerv-
GUS tension. The saddle and trappings of
the horse are of solid gold. The Knight is
composed of silver, as was the medieval
armor, and having upon the breast the red
cross, in colored- gold, of the Order. The
shining helmet is crowned by white ostrich
plumes, the silver composing them having
been enameled so that it is of the dead white
of the ostrich feather. The cloak on the
Knights shoulders is also white silver,
lined with colored gold and bearing on the
back the cross of the order in crude gold.
The face of the Knight is bronzed and the
mustache is gray. He bears in an upraised
hand 3 Dante axe, and at his side hangs a
gold sword. The whole stands about four
and one-half feet high, and composes beau
tiful work, upon which nearly four months
of labor have been expended, and which rep
resents an outlay of about $4,000.
The second trophy is smaller and is COM
posed of a beautifully wrought bronze bear,
fanked by grizzly bears in oxydized silver,
and bearing on the sides punches of grapes,
between which are Templar emblems in Cal
ifornia ores and a central disc representing
cavalcade Of armed knights. On the up
per surface of the base, representing plain
arc, several Templar's tents and a medieval
castle, between which are shields, the
Templar's banner and flags. Above the
whole is silver globe, upon which are en-
graved the continents and States. On the
map California is inlaid in gold. At the
North Pole stands an armed Knight with
sword raised and with shield on arm.
The third trophy manufactured by this
firm, in the shape of plaque of gold and
silver In the center is view of the Yo-
semitic Falls, engraved on colored gold and
silver, so that it looks like a painting.
Around this is a circle made of California
ores. The outer border contains eight en-
graved discs between which winds grape
vine with clusters of grapes in oxydized
silver. The engraved discs give represen-
tation of Suffers mill, farmer at work, a
miner with his pick, the great Mariposa
tree through which the stage drives, and
and various Templar emblems. The plaque
is surmounted by grizzly bear, and rests
on an easel of California woods representing
Templar Dante axes.