Here is an unidentified example from Geis’ source book depicting a detail image for Egyptian settings. The painted detail on early-twentieth century Scottish Rite drops that I am examining today is the winged disk (Horus Behdety).
This image appears at various archeological sites, including Edfu (Temple of Horus, Edfu). Without going into a long explanation of its meaning and mystical properties, this image was incorporated into ornamental decoration for Ptolemaic, Sumerian, Assyrian, and Hittite. Below are some examples from Edfu.
To accompany Geis’ printed image and photographs of corresponding archeological sources, I have included painted details form various Scottish Rite drops for the 31st AASR degree.
And when the serpents became interpreted as two birds…
Maybe this artist didn’t have an original source or design book!
Author: waszut_barrett@me.com
Wendy Rae Waszut-Barrett, PhD, is an author, artist, and historian, specializing in painted settings for opera houses, vaudeville theaters, social halls, cinemas, and other entertainment venues. For over thirty years, her passion has remained the preservation of theatrical heritage, restoration of historic backdrops, and the training of scenic artists in lost painting techniques. In addition to evaluating, restoring, and replicating historic scenes, Waszut-Barrett also writes about forgotten scenic art techniques and theatre manufacturers. Recent publications include the The Santa Fe Scottish Rite Temple: Freemasonry, Architecture and Theatre (Museum of New Mexico Press, 2018), as well as articles for Theatre Historical Society of America’s Marquee, InitiativeTheatre Museum Berlin’s Die Vierte Wand, and various Masonic publications such as Scottish Rite Journal, Heredom and Plumbline. Dr. Waszut-Barrett is the founder and president of Historic Stage Services, LLC, a company specializing in historic stages and how to make them work for today’s needs. Although her primary focus remains on the past, she continues to work as a contemporary scene designer for theatre and opera.
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