Tamanend (sculpture)

Tamanend, Chief of Delaware Indians
Tecumseh
Artist William Luke (1790-1839)
Year 1817
Type sculpture
Material wood, then bronze
Subject Figurehead of the USS Delaware
Dimensions 2.4 m × 1.5 m × 1.2 m (96 in × 59 in × 46 in)
Location United States Naval Academy, Annapolis, MD
38°58′56″N 76°29′02″W / 38.98222°N 76.48389°W
Owner United States Naval Academy
Accession June 1930

Tamanend was honored as the figurehead of USS Delaware in a carving by William Luke. Delaware was burned in 1861 at the Gosport Navy Yard to prevent Confederate capture at the start of the Civil War.[1] In 1868, the saved figurehead, officially titled Tamanend, Chief of Delaware Indians,[2] was transferred to the United States Naval Academy. It was placed on a pedestal outdoors, and simply labeled as "the figurehead of the Delaware".[3] In 1906, the figure was repaired with "cement, putty and paint". It was later replaced with a bronze depiction in 1930 presented by the class of 1891.[4] The bronze was cast at the U.S. Naval Gun Factory in 1929–30.[5][2]

Tamanend, a pacifist and friend to William Penn, did not inspire the midshipmen of the Academy. They eventually took to calling the figurehead Tecumseh,[4] after the Shawnee warrior chief and ally of the British, who was killed in the Battle of the Thames during the War of 1812.

Description

The statue of Tecumseh at the US Naval Academy, facing Bancroft Hall.
A portrait of Chief Tamanend wearing three feathers on top of his head and carrying a quiver filled with arrows on his back. The sculpture rests atop a tall square base. The sculpture is a bronze cast of the wooden ships figurehead carved by William Luke for the USS Delaware. This bronze replica was cast from the wooden original in 1930 at the U.S. Navy gun factory.[2]

Luke's original wooden carving was refurbished again in 1970, and now can be found in the Academy's visitor center.[3] In 1930, it's "heart" and "brains" had been placed inside the class gift to provide a continuity of presence.[4]

The statue is positioned on a base of Vermont marble immediately in front of Bancroft Hall,[4] and measures 96 by 59 by 46 inches (2.4 × 1.5 × 1.2 m).[2] The area between the figurehead and Bancroft Hall is called Tecumseh Court.

Inscriptions

Painted Tecumseh.

On the front base of the statue:[5]

FIGUREHEAD
OF THE
USS
DELAWARE
1817
BRONZE REPLICA
GIFT OF THE
CLASS OF 1891

On the statue's bronze base, to the rear:[5]

U.S. Naval Gun Factory
Navy Yard Washington, D.C.
1929

Traditions

President Truman joining Midshipmen in tossing pennies to Tecumseh, during a visit to the U.S. Naval Academy
Painting Tecumseh

Tecumseh (the name having become accepted)[4] is now referred to as the "God of 2.0", the passing grade point average at the academy. Midshipmen offer a left-handed salute as they pass, and toss pennies at the monument for good luck in their examinations and Army-Navy competitions.[4]

It is common for Tecumseh to be painted by the midshipmen in "war paint" for Parents' Weekend in August, Homecoming in the fall, before Army-Navy contests, and for Commissioning Week in May.[4]

References

  1. ↑ This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be found here.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Smithsonian American Art Museum. "Tamanend, Chief of Delaware Indians (1628-1698), (sculpture)". Smithsonian American Art Museum. Retrieved 2 July 2014.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Phoenix, J. (5 November 2009). "Tecumseh". West Point Association of Graduates. Retrieved 10 July 2014.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 Public Affairs Office. "Tecumseh". United States Naval Academy. Retrieved 2 July 2014.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Luke, William. "Tecumseh (Tamanend): Figurehead of the USS Delaware at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland by William Luke". dcMemorials.com. Retrieved 2 July 2014.