Administered by United States Capitol Architect of the Capitol Washington District of Columbia
Located Library of Congress Annex 2nd Street & Independence Avenue, S.E., Adams Building West entrance Washington District of Columbia 20540
Date:
1938
Notes:
Index of American Sculpture, University of Delaware, 1985
Goode, James M., "The Outdoor Sculpture of Washington, D.C., A Comprehensive Historical Guide," Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1974, pg. 78.
Save Outdoor Sculpture, District of Columbia survey, 1994.
Michael Richman, SAAM curatorial assistant, 1967-1969.
Goode, James M., "Washington Sculpture: A Cultural History of Outdoor Sculpture in the Nation's Capitol," Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2008, no. 1.30.
Image on file.
Goode, James M., "The Outdoor Sculpture of Washington, D.C., A Comprehensive Historical Guide," Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution Press, 1974, A-29.
Goode, James M., "Washington Sculpture: A Cultural History of Outdoor Sculpture in the Nation's Capitol," Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2008, no. 1.30.
(Center set of doors, below each figure:) HERMES/ITZAMA/ODIN/QUETZALCOATL/OGMA/SEQUOYAH (Left and right sets of doors, below each figure:) THOTH/TS'ANG CHIEH/NABU/BRAHMA/CADMUS/TAMURATH unsigned
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Summary:
Three sets of double doors installed at the west entrance to the building adorned with six relief figures. Three relief figures appear vertically down the length of each door. The six figures which appear on the center set of doors are figures who have made a contribution to the development of written communication. The figures are: Hermes, the Greek god who served as messenger; Odin, originator of the Viking alphabet and mythical god of war; Ogma, who performed the same alphabetical task for the Irish; Itzama, chief god of the Mayans; Quetzalcoatl, fair-haired god of the Aztecs; and Sequoyah, American Indian. The six figures which appear on the doors to the left and right of the center doors are figures who have contributed to the history of the written word in various cultures. The same six figures appear on both the left and right sets of doors. The figures are: Thoth, Egyptian god and conveyor of speech; Ts'ang Chieh, Chinese patron saint of pictographic letters; Nabu Sumero, Akkadian god; Brahma, supreme god of the east Indian Trinity; Cadmus of Greece, who planted the dragon teeth from which sprang armed men; and Tamurath, a cultural hero of Persian antiquity.