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Wikimedia Commons · Public domain · Hover to magnify, click for fullscreen
Original fileThis hand-painted enameled pendant displays a complex array of Masonic imagery, including a plumb line, sun and moon motifs, and a central five-pointed star. At the base, tools such as the compass, square, and level are arranged around two columns, while a hand descends from the top holding a cord. The Latin phrase encircling the edge highlights the secretive and virtuous nature of the fraternity.
This object reflects the 18th-century proliferation of Masonic symbolism, which drew heavily from earlier Hermetic and Neoplatonic traditions concerning sacred geometry and the construction of the self as a spiritual temple. It exemplifies the synthesis of Enlightenment-era moral philosophy with inherited occult motifs.
VERITAS. EST. INTUS VERTUTE. ET. SILENTIS
Translation
Truth is within. By virtue and silence.
James Anderson, The Constitutions of the Free-Masons
The symbols on this pendant correlate to the allegorical interpretation of architecture and moral virtue popularized by early Masonic constitutions.
Object
Enameled copper, hand painted
emblem
Digital Source
Unknown · Public domain
Linked Data
AI AI-cataloged fields generated by gemini-3.1-flash-lite-preview on April 15, 2026. Getty identifiers are AI-inferred and may require verification.