Washing and Polishing the Paws

Among many cultures, monumental architecture that houses potent material objects requires regular ritual cleansing. Materialized totemic symbols in particular may be the focus of cyclic renewal rituals. Here at the elevated entryway to the Palmer Museum, we see the biannual washing and polishing of the paws which is an act performed in preparation for pilgrims. Here two of the keepers of the shrine are pictured washing the paws to ready the museum for graduation and the many visitors who come to participate in this ceremony of intellectual transformation. The paws are doused with libations of purifying water and polished with bowling wax in order to achieve a lustrous shine. The paws are also washed in the Fall when high school students are visiting campus. Photos by Nathan Craig.