Chandeliers and the Law at the Temple of Justice
Part Four
This is the fourth entry in an on-going series, “Chandeliers and the Law at the Temple of Justice,” about the symbols on the Tiffany & Co. chandeliers in the Courtroom and Main Reading Room at the Temple of Justice.
The scales of justice and sword of state is the most immediately recognizable of the six symbols on the chandeliers. Iustitia (or Justitia), the Roman goddess of justice, who is often called Lady Justice in recent times, is often blindfolded and holds these two symbols of justice.
At the U.S. Supreme Court, James Earle Fraser’s statute Contemplation of Justice is a large statute of Lady Justice holding a smaller, blindfolded Justitia holding the scales of justice. The lamppost bases facing First Street include a bas-relief of this modern image of Justitia, designed by the John Donnelly studio of New York, blindfolded, holding both sword and scales.
In their book Representing Justice Yale law professors Judith Resnik and Dennis Curtis note that the blindfold was a Renaissance addition to the image of Lady Justice representing the virtue Justice:
“Many contemporary commentators presume that a blindfold is not only an appropriate but a necessary appendage; always worn by Justice to signify law’s impartiality. But, as we detail, clear-sightedness was valorized in Medieval Europe, while covered eyes denoted an inability to see the light of truth. A fool was shown putting a bandage over Justice’s eyes to capture how easily law could be led astray…What Justice ought to “see,” and inferentially to know, continues to be contested” (pg. 14).
Resnik and Curtis also explain the development of the scales as an ancient symbol of Justice:
“The obligation to listen to both sides came to be associated with the scales of Justice, typically depicted not as a steelyard but as evenly balanced pans. Of course, two-sided exchanges — and scales — were not unique to law courts. Dueling and certain sports included organized adversarialism, and commercial transactions often relied on weights and measures. Yet adjudication became a special site in which the judge, as the state’s umpire, was subjected to detailed regulation, including the injunction to hear both sides” (pg. 290).
The double-edged sword held by Lady Justice has evoked many analogies and theories. Some contend that it symbolizes both the protective nature of law and the right of the state punish crime. Others contend that the two-edges demonstrate that justice can rule against either party. Like many symbols, the sword can interpreted many ways and these interpretations often evolve with societal changes.
Lady Justice, with or without her blindfold, sword, and scales, is represented in art in courthouses across the world. The New York Unified Court System has an excellent slideshow showing the wide variety of depictions of her in New York courthouses. (RM)
