Antique Edwardian (1901-1910) Pair of Masonic Globes on Columns.

Antique Edwardian (1901-1910) pair of Masonic temple globes, originally made for a Masonic Lodge (St Nicholas Lodge, No.5108, West London) each in bronze half meridian on a bronze capital (one Corinthian the other Ionic or Doric), supported by a neoclassical fluted oak column ending in a stepped rectangular plinth.  Terrestrial & celestial globes are decorated with simple cartography, geographic and constellation entities outlined in a variety of colours.

These are a fine example of Masonic globes, they do have wear commensurate with age (see photos). 

A pair of globes atop columns are a central part of the iconography of the Masons and were used to decorate their lodges. The columns hearken back to the twin columns which are said to have been placed at the entrance of King Solomon’s temple, symbolically linking the Masonic Temple with Solomon’s. Generally speaking, the celestial globe is symbolic of the spiritual part of human nature, and the terrestrial globe symbolic of the material side.

A lodge frequently would have a full sized pair on 6-foot columns, with 9- or 12-inch diameter globes. It is common for one of the columns to have a simple Ionic or Doric capital and the other to the pair to have a developed Corinthian capital. Such globes, either in the miniature size or the full size.