Object Record
Images
Metadata
Catalog Number |
2020.FIC.121 |
Object Name |
Saucer |
Title |
Mercer Pottery Company Crescent Temple Saucer |
Description |
The saucer is white and circular with a gold rim, featuring an image of the Crescent Temple on the front. The picture is framed by the blue words "CRESCENT TEMPLE" at the top and "DEDICATED June 24 1916" at the bottom, with another gold rim encircling the image. The picture, taken from the left side of the building, is in shades of blue and white. The temple is two stories high with a basement and a dome on the roof. The basement has three visible windows: one in the front near the left and two (barely) on the left side. The first story features four windows, two in the front and two on the left side, with a large doorway between the front windows. The doorway consists of two separate doors, each with three vertical rectangular designs. Above the doors, there's a window pane. To the right of the doorway, there's another guardrail. The second story has seven windows, five in the front and two on the left side. Three of the windows, located directly above the doorway, are very close together. Surrounding the dome are three oval-shaped pillars. To the right of the Crescent Temple, there appears to be another building, but it is faded and not fully visible. The front of the plate has a slight inward curve, causing the back to be slightly elevated. In the center of the back of the plate, there is a green Mercer County Pottery symbol. The symbol resembles a shield with a crown on top, and a sash runs down the front with the word "MERCER" on it, flanked by two plus signs. According to Elma Lawson Johnston of the Trenton Historical Society, the Crescent Temple was founded by the Ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine (AAONMS), now known as Shriners International, an American Masonic society. The Salaam Temple, established in 1902 in Newark, NJ, was granted jurisdiction over the entire state of New Jersey. George W. Weidenmayer of the Salaam Temple instituted the Crescent Temple on November 17, 1904. The building pictured was completed on June 24, 1916. At its peak, the building had a capacity for approximately 4,000 people, including a banquet hall that could seat 2,600 at once, and a stage measuring 60 by 75 feet. According to the Shriners International website, Shriners International, originally known as the Ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, was founded in 1870 by 13 Masons during a meeting at Knickerbocker College in New York City. The group aimed to combine the principles of Freemasonry with elements of fun and fellowship. Initially, Shriners were associated with Middle Eastern culture and symbols, but following the 9/11 terrorist attacks, much of the Middle Eastern imagery was removed. Shriners are known for wearing a fez, a hat popular in Morocco, during their meetings. The sword on their logo represents the members, the crescent moon represents philanthropy, the pharaoh (or sphinx) symbolizes governance, and the five-pointed star represents the children the organization helps. Today, there are approximately 195 Shriners temples worldwide. According to Edwin Atlee of the Trenton Historical Society, the Potteries of Trenton Society, and the book Mains and Fitzgerald's Trenton, Chambersburg, and Millham Directory, Mercer Pottery operated in Trenton from around 1865 or 1868 until either the 1930s or 1946. By 1875, James Moses owned the company and claimed to have developed the first semi-porcelain ware in the United States. Citations: About Shriners. Shriners International. (n.d.). https://www.shrinersinternational.org/en/who-we-are/about-shriners Barber, E. A. (n.d.). Marks of American potters. Trenton Historical Society, New Jersey. https://www.trentonhistory.org/Made/Marks.html Johnston, E. L. (n.d.). Social and Fraternal Organizations. Trenton Historical Society, New Jersey. https://www.trentonhistory.org/His/Social.html Mains, Bishop W. and Thomas F. Fitzgerald. 1877-1879. Mains and Fitzgerald’s Trenton, Chambersburg and Millham Directory: Containing the Names of the Citizens, Statistical Business Report, Historical Sketches, a List of the Public and Private Institutions, Together with National, State, County, and City Government. Bishop W. Mains & Thomas F. Fitzgerald, Trenton, New Jersey. Mercer Pottery. Potteries of Trenton Society. (n.d.-c). https://potteriesoftrentonsociety.org/research/records/mercer-pottery-2/ |
Year Range from |
1916 |
Year Range to |
1946 |
Material |
Ceramic, Paint |
Artist |
Mercer Pottery Company |
Height (in) |
5.125 |
Length (in) |
5.000 |
Condition |
Good |
Condition Notes |
Overall: A few accretions and abrasions throughout. A little bit of bleeding around the pictures and text. The paint is chipping throughout the entire plate. Front: There are a few brown accretions in the upper left corner of the white rim. There is a little bit of blue bleeding around the "CRESCENT TEMPLE" inscription. There is paint chipping throughout the entire plate. There is a little bit of white bleeding around the Crescent Temple picture. And finally, there are a few abrasions in the upper left corner of the Crescent Temple picture. Back: There are abrasions around the rim of the inner circle. There is paint chipping throughout the entire plate. And finally, there are tape accretions around the bottom center. |
Inscription Type |
Inscription |
Inscription Location |
Front, Top to Bottom, Middle |
Inscription Technique |
Stamped |
Inscription Text |
"CRESCENT" Line 1 "TEMPLE" Line 2 "DEDICATED" Line 3 "June 24 1916" Line 4 Back, Center, Middle "Mercer" |
People |
James Moses George W. Weidenmayer |
Classification |
Domestic Life/Household Goods Churches and Temples Business & Commerce Social & Personal Activity |
Subjects |
Building dedications Domes Ceramic industry Clubs Clubhouses Masonic buildings Masonry |
Search Terms |
Plate Saucer White Blue Green Trenton New Jersey Crescent Temple Shrinners Newark Free Mason Masonic 1916 1900s 20th Century Gold Mercer Pottery Company Ancient Arabic Order Shinners International Salaam Temple Pharaoh Middle East Sphinix Claws Scimitar Mercer Pottery Company Crescent Temple Saucer Masonry |
Provenance |
Found in Collections in 2020 |