The Boar above the Door

I asked Karyn (the daughter of WL Meekins Sr.) about this pig and she quickly corrected me. This is not a pig, but a boar! In any case, this is what greets each customer as they come into The Office. Karyn told me that this boar actually originally rested above the bed of Bill Jr. from when he was a child until after he graduated high school. She said she was always afraid of it, so didn't like to go in Bill Jr.'s Room. I guess that worked out pretty well for both of them. To be honest, I really can't imagine having this over my bed.

This was probably purchased at Thieves Market in Alexandria, VA (now located in McClean). This is an antique store that specializes in recovering stuff from estate sales. Just like WL Meekins Inc. Thieves Market is a family owned and run business that has been around since 1951. I bet WL Meekins Sr. was good friends with them, as it was one of his favorite places to shop.

I tried to take this thing off the wall to see if there was any interesting notes on the back, but it was nailed to the wall. Hopefully one day I will see what is on the back.While I was up there, I noticed the two dogs. I tried searching to see if I could find any information about this online, but could not.

After Bill Jr. went to college, it was moved to the office. But it was boring and just brown back then. WL Meekins Sr. had Fred, a former employee, repaint it and add his favorite color - gold. I joked with Karyn, if WL Meekins Sr. had painted it, it would be solid gold.

The only theory I have come up with as to what this piece is all about, is that it is based on Animal Farm by George Orwell. In Animal Farm, the pigs/boars are the elite. There is one boar named Napolean who is the meanest boar and travels with a pack of guard dogs who do is bidding. Looking back at the headboard with this in mind, this makes perfect sense, especially now that it's gold. It's almost as if the dogs are worshiping the boar. Considering when Animal Farm came out (1945), I bet WL Meekins Sr. was aware of the allusion - so that's fun.

I think this is an example of how WL Meekins Sr. never gave up on anything. Something old could always be made new. This piece was old and ratty, but he made it new and shiny. It was made to reflect a story of communism, but has become something the reflects the story of the Meekins'.

In the next post we will look into a fancy little tea pot.

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