Moses, Elden C. Tefft

The sculpture depicts Moses, a religious leader, lawgiver, and prophet. He is credited with the authorship of the Hebrew Bible and is important in Christianity, Islam and many other faiths. Moses is looking at an image of a burning bush in the stained glass window. Together the sculpture and the window create a three dimensional version of the University of Kansas seal. KU's first chancellor, Rev. Oliver, chose the seal in 1866. It was redesigned by Elden Tefft, the artist who created the sculpture, for the university's centennial in 1966. The university seal depicts Moses kneeling in awe before a bush engulfed in flames. In many stories and myths, fire symbolizes knowledge. Moses is thought to represent the humble attitude of the scholar who recognizes the unquenchable nature of the pursuit of knowledge and truth. Elden Tefft also created the sculpture of the jayhawk in front of Strong Hall. He was a long time KU professor and founder of the International Sculpture Center, an organization that works to advance the creation and understanding of sculpture.

My podcast is on the sculpture Moses, by Elden Tefft, but before I talk about how this piece of art made me feel, I want to give some information to the creator Elden Tefft. Elden was born in Hartford Kansas in 1919. As a young child Elden always dreamed of having a career in magic, he could even spit fire and swallow swords whole. For high school Elden was enrolled in Lawrence high and found his passion in art. Soon after discovering his love for sculpting Elden was called to duty as a pilot for World War 2. After his service Elden returned to his studies earning his bachelors and master’s degree at KU, he would then spend the next 40 years teaching the next generation of artists. The location of the sculpture is at the Smith Religious Studies and has been there since 1982. I chose Moses because of the complexity and how much detail Elden put in the sculpture itself, I always had interest in accuracy, whether it be in art or nature. The mood of this art is peaceful and captivating to the naked eye, making you feel minuscule when close to sculpture. This art reminded me of the Holy Grail in Brazil because of the religious ties both of them share. The sculpture itself is made out of bronze with parts of the art being smooth and other parts being rough. The sculpture depicts Moses praying in the direction of the Burning Bush made entirely out of stained glass. Even though it’s not technically a part of the piece, it adds a whole new dynamic to the sculpture. After noticing the Burning Bush I had no doubt in my mind that there were direct ties with the Book of Exodus. The Exodus tells the story of how Moses saves the Israelites from Egyptian enslavement with the help of the Burning Bush, which symbolizes God. Knowing that there was a biblical reference to the sculpture, it lead me to ask other questions like “Why was Moses hollowed out as if he was some sort of cage?” and “What are the strange scars on Moses’s feet, body, and clothing?” . Maybe Elden was trying tells us something about the darker side of slavery?. My thinking was that Elden made the body of Moses cage like to symbolizes the trapped race that Moses must save. Or maybe that each scar on Moses’s symbolizes the death of a persecuted Israelite, either way it opens new ways to interpret this piece of art. Perhaps Elden was trying to tell us something more than just a religious story. I believe that Elden used the biblical story to tell us a more inspiring look on life. At the beginning of the Book of Exodus it talks about how Moses finds God and gains eternal knowledge from doing so and becomes powerful enough to convince the Pharaoh of Egypt to let God’s people out of slavery. This is telling us that Knowledge has a certain power that will never be challenged by any other power. Also in the Book of Exodus Moses drops everything to help his enslaved people, teaching us that no matter what the cost, always helps someone in need. This has been Ja’Brandion Douglas with another Bulldog Podcast.

The bronze Moses statue, created by Elden Cecil Tefft, stands ten feet tall outside of Smith Hall, the religious studies building. Elden C. Tefft is a world-renowned bronze sculptor who also created the Lawrence High Chesty Lion and the bronze Academic Jay that sits in front of Strong Hall at the University of Kansas. He was a KU professor for many years and founded the International Sculpture Center. The Moses statue is a gift of Corinne Wooten Miller of Tonganoxie, given in memory of her husband, Charles E. Miller. The stained glass window “Burning Bush,” sits across from the Moses statue and was designed by Smith Hall architect Charles L. Marshall. Mr. and Mrs. L. Allyn Laybourn donated the window in memory of his parents. Relating to the meaning behind the artistic piece, fire is a symbol of knowledge in many myths and stories. In the biblical story of Exodus, God speaks to Moses through a burning bush. He tells Moses that he has seen the Israelites struggling with slavery at the hands of the Egyptians. He sends Moses to Pharaoh to bring God’s people out of slavery and to a “spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey.” The sculpture, facing the stained glass window, illustrates the knowledge passed to Moses from God and is appropriate given the religious education provided at this location. The Moses statue is kneeling, with hands together in prayer. His eyes are locked on a burning bush and it appears that his clothing is made of ribbons. The bible mentions ribbons in Numbers 15:38-39, “Speak unto the children of Israel, and bid them that they make them fringes in the borders of their garments throughout their generations, and that they put upon the fringe of the borders a ribbon of blue. And it shall be unto you for a fringe, that ye may look upon it, and remember all the commandments of the Lord, and do them...” In this scripture, the word “ribbon” refers to bound lace, twine, or thread and the blue ribbon is a tool for remembering God’s commandments. After the Israelite people escaped Egypt they came across a mountain named Mount Sinai, where Moses left them and went up to receive the Ten Commandments. The Moses statue with clothing seemingly made of ribbons, appears to be symbolic of the fact that Moses was a messenger of God and provided God’s commandments to the people. The great challenges Moses experienced in his life required him to be brave and have great leadership skills. The students at the University of Kansas must also have courage when they start out on their college career. Seeing the Moses statue may help remind them of the Ten Commandments and overall make the University a better place. Each time I see the statue I am reminded that some things must be done, that may not be comfortable, for the better of other people. Moses stood up to Pharaoh and ultimately freed the Israelites from slavery. He also listened to God and shared the knowledge he learned with the Israelites. This meaningful statue fits in perfectly on a college campus due to its many encouraging reminders. This has been Morgan Goeser with another Bulldog Podcast.

The University Of Kansas is adorned with a vast collection of intricate statues, most created by former alumni. One of the most famous of these statues is the kneeling Moses outside of Smith Hall. This work of art was created by KU alumni Elden Tefft, and was dedicated to the University in 1982. The statue depicts a ten-foot bronze Moses kneeling with his hands crossed. Tefft created the statue to compliment the stained glass Burning Bush created by Charles Marshall. While the piece itself is quite simple to the eye, a matte bronze statue atop a plain concrete plinth, the story the piece tells is extraordinary. This work of art is inspired by the book of Exodus in the old testament of the Bible. In the third chapter of Exodus, Moses is visited by God in the form of a burning bush. The burning bush speaks with the voice of God and instructs Moses to free the Israelites from Egyptian rule. In many cultures, fire is a symbol of knowledge, which I believe is why God took that form. This piece symbolizes the great journey that is taken in the pursuit of knowledge. It uses texture to depict this journey. Moses’ exposed face, hands, and feet are very roughly textured due to the hard road that Moses traveled to find the knowledge that could free his people. This piece not only depicts the pursuit of knowledge, but also the bliss of ignorance. The statue of Moses appears to be wearing a robe made of a fence-like pattern. This could symbolize how Moses was trapped within himself due to his ignorance. Before God showed him the suffering of his own people, Moses was completely content being oblivious to his people’s cries for help and mercy. If he had not been visited by God in the form of the burning bush, he would have spent the rest of his life trapped within a shell of his true self. Until ignorance was vanquished with knowledge, Moses did not discover his true identity and the same can apply to us. Knowledge is a gateway to our genuine potential, and more importantly, our inner selves. This has been Kyle Flachsbarth with another Bulldog Podcast.

The 10 foot tall, 1.5 ton bronze statue of Moses outside of Smith Hall at the University of Kansas was crafted by Elden C. Tefft in 1982. This statue faces a stained glass window depicting the Burning Bush created by Charles L. Marshall of Topeka, Kansas. This piece has a profusion of important history that dates back to the era of the Bible. Moses is shown kneeling down on one leg with his hand over his heart, wearing woven clothes and a hat from the time period, and bare feet. He appears wise, and has a calm expression on his face. Moses is directly facing the Burning Bush stained glass window, which has a variety of reds and blues forming the picture of a flaming bush. Flames are known to symbolize knowledge in many other myths and stories, including this passage. Moses is thought to represent a man with a humble attitude who has recognized the pursuit of knowledge and truth. Moses’ vision is described in the third chapter of Exodus in the Bible. It says, “‘Do not come any closer,’ God said. ‘Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.’” Moses is most likely barefoot in the sculpture because of the description in this verse. Marshall’s stained glass window complements Tefft’s sculpture with an exemplary balance of color and texture which contrasts effortlessly with Moses’s rough, gray, weathered structure. This duo makes a great example of what else to expect in Kansas University’s resident religious building, Smith Hall. The sculpture of Moses can be interpreted in many ways, and all implications are worthy of being acknowledged since this piece can be construed differently by everyone. This has been Ella Young with another Bulldog Podcast.

A statue of Moses kneels as he prays in front of a stained glass window depicting a burning bush. The statue weighs approximately one and a half tons and stands ten feet tall on a four foot plinth. The open webbing of the clothing reminds me of a basket weave, and contrasts with the solid bronze of the feet and face. This display, created by bronze sculptor and Professor Elden C. Tefft in 1982, creates a model of a story from Exodus in the Christian bible. In this story, Moses is tending a flock of sheep when he sees a bush burning and walks over to it wondering why it doesn’t just burn up. God called to him from within the bush, telling him that he was to go into Egypt and free his people currently working there as slaves. The sculpture stands, appropriately, in front of Smith Hall, the building for religious studies on KU campus. It also creates a three dimensional version of the seal of KU, which features the same scene from Exodus. In the seal, and therefore the sculpture, fire is made to represent knowledge, and Moses represents the humble scholar bowing in front of great knowledge. The religious leader’s stoic, worshipping features show respect for the bush’s power. In my opinion, the way the clothing is weaved could represent coming apart before this knowledge, or the God that Moses worships. As God says in the bible, “This is what you must say to the people of Israel: The LORD God of your ancestors, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, has sent me to you. This is my name forever. This is my title throughout every generation.” This has been Rheanne with another bulldog podcast.