Object ID
1998.26.4
Object Name
Holder, Pen
Material
Brass; Silver
Object Entities
Chimens, Evelyn (owned by)
Chimens, Evelyn (is related to)
Object Description
Silver-plated Brass embossed pen holder. The bottom of the pen tray has an embossed double-headed eagle at the center with the wings spreading towards each end of the tray. The eagle clutches a sword in its right claw and a staff in its left claw. Around the raised edges of the tray are geometric fern embossments. on the backside of the pen holding tray is an extension that appears to be constructed so something, perhaps a missing piece, can be slid into the slot of the attachment. Around the base and forward faces of the attachment are more fern embossments.
Origin
Donated by Evelyn Chimens. Pen holders were simply places to hold pens when not in use. The double-headed eagle is a symbol that can be traced back to the Byzantine Empire, and is still used today by the Greek Orthodox Church and parts of the Greek state. The sword might symbolize the Byzantine past, while the staff might symbolize Orthodoxy.
Rights and Reproduction
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Citation
Holder, Pen, National Hellenic Museum, https://collections.nationalhellenicmuseum.org/Detail/objects/9746. Accessed 04/20/24.