James Smithson's Sarcophagus Monument

James Smithson's Sarcophagus Monument

James Smithson's sarcophagus shaped marble monument. A red Tennessee marble base house’s the actual coffin, below the sarcophagus.The lions’ feet, or claw(s), supporting the sarcophagus represent strength.

The lower central medallion on the front and back, feature a moth inside a laurel wreath, with laurel branches and ribbon. Moths represent reincarnation or new life, having "died" as caterpillars. The laurel leaf wreath is a symbol of achievement, victory, and eternity. The extended laurel branches with foliage represent the Tree of Life.

The frieze above the medallion features on each corner birds, followed by laurel branches, and serpents, with a scallop shell in the center. The bird represents a soul ascending to Heaven. The serpent is an ancient symbol of great wisdom and power. To the Greeks and Romans, The scallop shell was associated with the sea, which was used as a symbol of eternity and rebirth in both cultures.

The shell remains a popular symbol among esotericists to this day as a symbol of reincarnation. It is also used as a symbol of the rising son, which can be interpreted as a symbol if renewal or rebirth as well as the esoteric messiah. It precisely illustrates the hermetic maxim of,”as above, so below” through its relation to the element of water as well as fire.

At the top of the sarcophagus is a pine cone, another symbol of regeneration.



James Smithson's Crypt
Smithsonian Institution Building
1000 Jefferson Dr SWWashington, DC