The Gilded Age in America | A compendium of short, illustrated essays about the people, buildings, gardens, art, books and more that define the long 19th-century in the U.S. | Page 76

A Gorinto is the Japanese interpretation of a type of Buddhist pagoda used as a memorial or burial marker. Larz and Isabel Anderson saw many of these on their trips to Japan and purchased one for their estate in Brookline, MA.  Their estate is now the Larz Anderson Park.

A Gorinto has five levels, each with its own meaning.  From top to bottom:

Jewel – perfection Crescent – receptivity Triangle – transition, unification, movement Circle – completion, wisdom

Square – four elements (air, fire, water, and earth).