Nancy Pelosi has been rocking some powerful statement jewelry recently. When history was made on Dec 18, 2019 and Donald Trump became the third President in history to be impeached, this Mace of the Republic brooch was in the room where it happened. It was hard not to notice this dramatic pin against her somber high collared black zip-up top.
This piece appears to be a favorite of Pelosi. It was previously worn during The State of the Union address on Feb 19, 2019, during her interview with Fareed Zakaria for CNN on June 13, 2019, during a press conference with Adam Schiff on Oct 2, 2019 and additionally the day after impeachment on Dec 19, 2019. .
The eye catching brooch was designed by Ann Hand, who is a DC based, renowned jewelry designer. Her American history inspired creations have been worn by First Ladies, celebrities, Senators and more. She designed the official pin worn by the spouses of the U.S. House of Representatives and has created custom designs over the last 27 years for the White House, the Congressional Medal of Honor Society, the State Department, the Department of Defense, the Department of Justice, the CIA, NATO, and four Presidential libraries. Ann’s exquisite Mace of the Republic pin sells for $125. It is crafted from brass and plated with 18k gold. A half pearl sits under the bald eagle, where in a life-sized Mace a globe is placed. The item has garnered such attention this week that it is currently on backorder.
Pelosi was most certainly sending a message with her fashion choice. The Mace of the Republic (also know as the Mace of the U.S. House of Representatives) is one of the oldest symbols of our government, representing the governmental authority of the United States-specifically the House of Representatives. In accordance with the House Rules, on the rare occasion that a member becomes unruly, the Sergeant at Arms, upon order of the Speaker, lifts the mace from its pedestal and presents it before the offenders, thereby restoring order. The Mace is only known to have been put to use six times in history.
On April 14, 1789 in one of its first resolutions, the U.S. House of Representatives of the 1st Federal Congress established the Office of the Sergeant at Arms stating “a proper symbol of office shall be provided for the Sergeant at Arms, of such form and device as the Speaker shall direct.”
The first mace ever created was destroyed by fire when the Capital Building burned in 1814. A simple wooden mace was used through 1842, when silversmith William Adams created a new one. After efforts by Smithsonian’s Museum Conservation Institute (MCI) in 2006, this impressive piece, valued around $10,000 is still in use today.
The 10lb mace is designed to reflect an ancient battle weapon and the Roman fasces. It consist of a bundle of 13 rods to represent the original 13 states of the Union and is bound by silver strands criss crossing the length of the pole. Atop this rests a large globe which is engraved with the seven continents, names of the oceans and lines of latitude and longitude. The cast silver eagle resting on the globe has a wingspan of 15 inches.
Many of these details are reflected with perfection in Pelosi’s now iconic pin, which was indeed the perfect choice for such a historic occasion.
