Wood Carving of the Great Seal of the United States

Ira Blount · 1982

In this wood carving, artist and veteran Ira Blount pays tribute to the Great Seal of the United States. Like the national symbol, this features an eagle wielding a shield with thirteen stripes representing the original thirteen states. The bird holds an olive branch in its right talon and arrows in its left one, indicating peace and war respectively. Unlike the official seal, the eagle looks to the right toward war, perhaps a nod to Blount's service during World War II. The carving also lacks the scroll reading E Pluribus Unum (a Latin phrase meaning “out of many, one") and the field of stars.