NEW ZEALAND FREEMASONRY.

Otago Witness, Issue 2927, 20 April 1910, Page 11

NEW ZEALAND FREEMASONRY.

LORD PLUNKET HONOURED. A BEAUTIFUL WORK OF ART. (From Our Own Correspondent.) LONDON, February 25. His Excellency Lord Plunket, who h.a.s been Worshipful Grand Master of the Freemasons in the Dominion from 1906 to 1910, will shortly be the recipient of a strikingly handsome work of art as a recognition from his brother Freemasons of his services to the fraternity during the last four years. The gift is a silver-gilt centre-piece in the form of an epea'gne with a large centre jardiniere and four small dishes to match, supported on brackets copied from typical examples of Maori carving, springing from tattooed! Maori heads. The single foot which supports the whole is somewhat novel in form. It is a, square set in a diagnonal position "with sporting scenes 'on two panels, and of the remaining two one it; commemorative of the visit of the American fleet and the other shows the new North Island Main Trunk" railway—the section opened during Lord Plunket's term of office. The whole is supported on a plateau, 3ft by 2ft, with a bevelled foot having eight panels. These represent: (1) Captain Cook's ship Endeavour off New Zealand, (2) Maori war canoe with typical piece of New Zealand scenery, (3) New Zealand training ship, (4) a modern Dreadnought, (5 and 6) the two towns linked up by the new railway, Wellington and Auckland, (7) geyser in full play, (8) Mount Cook. The panels are all framed in richlychased borders copied from good examples of Maori carving. On one side of the central large jardiniere is Lord Plunket's coat of arms, and on the other is the following inacrip.lion: " Presented by the Freemasons, of New Zealand to his Excellency Lord Plunket, K.C.M.G., K.C.V.0., Most Worshipful Grand Master from 1906 to 1910, I in recognition of hia valuable services to the fraternity. .Wellington, New Ze&*

land, 12th May, 1910." Then there is the coat of arms of the Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of New Zealand, established 1890. The four small dishes have his Excellency's crest on the obverse and a fern leaf and the initials "N.Z." on the reverse. The piece stands 24in in height.

~- In addition to the handsome centre piece there are two side jardinieres to match. Standing on a single foot, all 18in high, and placed on a plateau of similar shape to the centrepiece, these have also two panels showing New Zealand vegetation and the unique bird the kiwi. The whole weighs 1000 ounces of solid silver, and has been designed and manufactured entirely by Messrs Stewart, Dawson, and Co., of New Zealand. During this week it has been displayed in their new premises in Regent street, and it will be packed on Monday for shipment to New Zealand. The Maori ornamentation is a special feature of' the work, and competent authorities say that no finer piece of silver

work has ever gone out of I/'idon. The gilding brings out the ricTmess of the Maori ornamentation in a eery decided -nanner, and it would not loo*-- nearly so well in silver.