what does the lambskin represent and when did the blue edging come in

The lambskin apron represents innocence, serving as a constant reminder of that purity of life and rectitude of conduct necessary for admission into the Celestial Lodge 1. Presented at initiation as the candidate's first gift and symbol, it remains the distinctive badge of a Mason throughout his progress 1. Wilmshurst interprets the initial plain white lambskin as an emblem of the purity of a newborn child, reading the physical apron as a symbol for the human body itself 2.

Where blue edging is used—such as on Master Masons' aprons under the Grand Lodge of England or in modern American practice—the blue ribbon represents universal friendship as the bond of the society 1. The provided sources detail these symbolic meanings and the apron regulations of various jurisdictions 1, but they do not record the historical date or year when blue edging was first introduced to the Craft.

The ribbons worn by Grand Lodge officers originally functioned as simple neck collars from which the jewel of office was suspended 1. In the early English Grand Lodge, these ribbons were initially white in 1727, while Stewards wore red 1. By 1731, Grand Officers were ordered to wear their jewels of gold suspended from blue ribbons, establishing the tradition from which the modern broad decorative collar evolved 1.

Laurence Dermott recorded in 1764 that blue or purple had become the peculiar badge of Grand Officers, solidifying blue as the predominant color for Grand Lodge regalia, while crimson remained designated for Grand Stewards 1. Regional practices, however, varied considerably. The Grand Lodge at York adopted white and pink ribbons 1. In Scotland, the Grand Lodge ordered in 1736 that the jewels of the Grand Master and Wardens be worn at a green ribbon, reflecting the national thistle-green motif 1.

Other jurisdictions established distinct color schemes for Grand Officer ribbons and collars. Under the Grand Lodge Alpina in Switzerland, Grand Officers wear collars of crimson watered ribbon edged with white 1. In Hungary, Grand Officers historically wore orange ribbons edged in dark green, while Belgium adopted light blue silk bordered with gold fringe 1.

The 1738 Book of Constitutions records regulations regarding the colors of ribbons used to suspend jewels of office 1. It notes that on March 17, 1731, it was resolved that Masters and Wardens of particular lodges could hang their jewels from white ribbons around their necks, while Article XXIII permitted Stewards to wear silver jewels suspended from red ribbons 1. It also records the order of 1731 specifying that Grand Officers wear their gold jewels suspended from blue ribbons 1.

While these historical entries are recorded in the 1738 Book of Constitutions, the library passages cite the publication itself and its recorded resolutions rather than attributing these specific entries to James Anderson by name 1.