These Columbus Door bookends were a gift from my wife. They were sold by The United States Capitol Historical Society.
Crafted from the marble taken from the east front steps during the 1995 renovations, these bookends are based on the 17′ and 20,000 pound bronze doors in the east front of the Capitol building. The doors have a curved semicircular tympanum above two valves that are divided into four panels which depict the life of Christopher Columbus. Engraved in the base of the bookends is the quote by Carl Sandburg, “Whenever a People or an Institution Forgets its Hard Beginnings it is Beginning to Decay.” (9 1/2″T x 5″ W x 3″ D)
