Final answer:
The tent in hospital crests symbolizes shelter and care, drawing from historical use of tents as makeshift medical facilities, especially in military contexts. This imagery connects to broader themes of refuge and protection as viewable in various cultural representations like art installations.
Step-by-step explanation:
The tent imagery in the context of a hospital crest, such as that associated with Canadian General Hospital 7 from World War I, is symbolic of shelter and care. Traditionally, tents served as makeshift medical facilities in war zones, where soldiers would be treated for their injuries. They represent the temporary nature of such facilities, embodying the concepts of aid and transience. The symbolism anchors deeply in the historical role of military and field hospitals, where tents were actual structures used as part of medical encampments in times of combat, thereby becoming an emblem of medical assistance and sanctuary for those in need.
In a broader cultural context, the tent also signifies refuge and protection, echoing the historical and global significance of tent-like structures, such as the Marble Tent installation by artist Rebecca Belmore, which reflects on themes of displacement and shelter as they relate to both refugees and Indigenous peoples.