It can't be an oil derrick, this is Seattle after all

September 7, 2009 6:03 PM

What is the thing that looks like an oil derrick in this picture?

My daughter is starting kindergarten at Daniel Bagley school here in Seattle. It's unusual among Seattle school buildings in that it's somewhat art deco, as the district's architect experimented with art deco design flourishes in this building (built 1930) and then abandoned them for later school designs. The building is decorated with these stone ornaments over all the doors (including a number of "modern inventions" over one door, such as a late 1920s vintage movie camera).

In this picture, you see two of the three shields that are over the front door. The middle one is a book with "1930" written in it (as seen in the photo). The one on the right (not pictured) is of an owl, which obviously symbolizes learning. And that leaves the one at the left, and I'm stumped at what it could be. I'm assuming it's some symbol of learning, but I can't figure out what it is. Any ideas?

Apologies for the blurry; it was taken with an iPhone around dusk.

posted by dw to grab bag (5 answers total)

Does it symbolize "music"? Three musical notes and/or the three pedals of a grand piano.
Maybe musical instruments in the middle (flutes etc)? Too blurry to make out.
posted by lungtaworld at 6:12 PM on September 7, 2009

It looks like a Delphic tripod to me-- the stool a Pythian priestess sat on at the sanctuary at Delphi, and from which she gave prophecies. It symbolizes divine inspiration.
posted by oinopaponton at 6:20 PM on September 7, 2009 [3 favorites]

Seconding the appropriately-named oinopaponton
posted by Bromius at 6:23 PM on September 7, 2009

oinopaponton has it! I stand corrected.
posted by lungtaworld at 6:28 PM on September 7, 2009

That makes sense, especially given that a) this was done in 1930, when Greco-Roman stuff was bigger than now (and the owl on the right is the symbol for Athena), and b) "inspiration" matches up well with "wisdom" (symbolized by the owl).

Thanks, oinopaponton!
posted by dw at 8:29 PM on September 7, 2009