Capitol Rotunda Muses
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The Muse of Commerce appears
against a backdrop of unfurled sails and ship's rigging. Symbolized
by a winged headdress and carrying a staff with serpents, known as a
caduceus, she evokes swift Hermes, Zeus's messenger, also regarded
as the god of commerce, trade and the market. To the Greeks and
Romans, the caduceus was a symbol of truce and safe passage,
necessary for trade. To the Babylonians, however, it represented
healing, which is why it was adopted in the sixteenth century as a
medical symbol. The muse's hand upon a globe featuring an outline of
the Americas suggests a western hemisphere almost with commerce's
grasp.
Michigan History Magazine (January/February 1999) |
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