Glencairn teakwood bed

“The teakwood bed, completed by [Frank] Jeck in 1931, includes several symbolic elements chosen by the Pitcairns. Raymond and Mildred shared a belief in New Church (Swedenborgian Christian) ideas about marriage. A pair of doves was carved on each one of the bedposts; in the works of Emanuel Swedenborg (1688-1772), a pair of doves symbolizes the love that exists between married partners. In accordance with their New Church faith, the Pitcairns believed that a loving marriage can bring both partners closer to God, and that married couples who truly love each other are reunited in heaven. Inscribed around the bed is an adaptation of a passage used in their 1910 wedding ceremony: ‘Unite our hearts in love to one another and to Thee. Give us one heart, one mind, one way. Grant us knowledge to see Thy way and power to do Thy will.’” (Kirsten and Ed Gyllenhaal, “A Woodcarver’s Legacy: The Work of Frank Jeck (Part One),” _Glencairn Museum News_, Number 8, 2019; see External Link)

Sources:
- Kirsten and Ed Gyllenhaal, “A Woodcarver’s Legacy: The Work of Frank Jeck (Part One),” _Glencairn Museum News_, Number 8, 2019.