Olives and Arrows: What the Eagle in the Mural Really Holds
Introduction
It rests near the bottom of the mural- not as decoration, but as declaration. The golden eagle spreads its wings just below the Statue of Liberty, talons extended, gaze steady. In one claw, it carries an olive branch. In the other, thirteen arrows. The eagle is not new to American iconography. It appears on currency, seals, military flags. But in the 250th Anniversary Mural, its symbolism is neither ornamental nor automatic. It is reconsidered. Here, the eagle is not soaring. It is centered. Grounded. Not in flight, but in stance. Its wings frame the lower base of the Republic’s visual story. And what it holds- those opposing symbols- tell us more about the nation’s identity than perhaps any other image in the mural.
Why Olives and Arrows This duality dates back to the Great Seal of the United States. Approved in 1782, the seal’s design included an eagle clutching an olive branch in its right talon and a bundle of arrows in its left. The intent was simple: peace and war, diplomacy and defense. But intent does not end with design. Meaning evolves. In the mural, the eagle’s talons are not simply holding tools- they are holding tension. The olives represent not just peace, but restraint. They signal the desire to lead with diplomacy, to negotiate rather than dominate. The arrows, bound together, do not yet point outward. They rest. They wait. This is not a bird mid-battle. It is a bird choosing.
Lexicon of Balance The eagle’s symmetry is more than aesthetic. It encodes a civic philosophy: America does not promise peace without preparation. Nor does it glorify force without cause. Its posture asks a question: what do we lead with? And then another: what must we be ready to defend? This posture of readiness is not aggression. It is clarity. The eagle is not ascending into the unknown. It is guarding what it knows must be protected- liberty, unity, and the enduring struggle to balance power with principle. Why a Golden Eagle? Gold changes the tone. The eagle is not gray, not naturalistic. It is gilded. But not to glorify. To elevate. Gold in the mural carries layered meaning: legacy, endurance, moral value. It is used sparingly.
Washington, the cannons, the arch- all share this treatment. So, the eagle’s golden form does not mimic nature. It participates in a larger symbolic field. This is not the bald eagle as mascot. This is the eagle as emblem- mythic, measured, memorial. Thirteen Arrows, One Grip Each arrow in the eagle’s left talon represents one of the original colonies. But they are not scattered. They are bound. This is no accident. The arrows only have power because they are held together. Fragmented, they would fall. In the mural, this detail reinforces the core message of unity under strain- thirteen identities held in one grip, ready to act not as individuals, but as a coordinated force when necessary.
Why It Still Matters
Symbols grow stale when they are repeated without reflection. But in this mural, the eagle is restored to its original purpose: a moral metaphor. It reminds us that strength is not the opposite of peace- it is the condition that allows peace to last. And peace is not passivity. It is choice, made again and again, in the face of complexity. The eagle’s gaze is calm. Not triumphant. Its wings are open, but not spread in flight. It waits, but it does not retreat. It is a sentinel. And in its talons, America’s perennial question: How do we hold power?
Further Reading / Explore More
The eagle forms part of the mural’s lower framework, paired with the Statue of Liberty and golden wheat. To explore how these symbols work together, read our companion entries on Liberty’s forward gaze and Washington’s golden restraint.
Related Blog: Why the Statue of Liberty Faces Forward: Framing Freedom in the Mural Mural Link: https://usa250thanniversarymural.com Tags: 250 Mural, Golden Eagle, Olives and Arrows, Great Seal of the United States, Symbolic Imagery, Revolutionary Legacy, Peace and Defense, American Symbols, Founding Meaning, Public Art
