Swastika Bracelet

[lab-rat]

Hello, I found this among my great grandmothers things. I know the swastika has multiple meanings and I'm not sure on this one. Appears to be gold and brass. No markings on the "head" and the bracelet portion has what appears to be "patent applied for" stamp which leads me to believe it is of US origin. Curious if anyone has seen anything like this before. Thanks

 

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[oldfireguy]

Did your grandmother go to college in the 20's or 30's? Swastikas were used by some fraternities. I myself have not seen jewelry but I do have some hats that were worn by college fraternities that have the swastika on them.

 

[Fast_Dave]

Here's the pics downsized a little. Are you sure this is a single piece? The swastika piece appears to be quite different than the bracelet.

Whoops, sorry, just figured out how it fits together.

 

[Bum Luck]

American Indian, Sanskrit, maybe?

Since fashion is so traceable, maybe someone can figure what the date is from the design.

I'd say 1880s, but that's just a guess.

 

[CRUSADER]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swastika

Bear in mind it was a good luck symbol popular for many years & the symbol goes back thousands of year.

This piece I guess is 1920s

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

Here are some good luck swastikas from the early 1900's. http://www.hoohoohouse.com/hoohoo_house/2008/07/early-use-of-th.html

 

[traderoftreasures]

 

[paratrooper]

IIRC Hitler slanted the Swastika which set it apart from earlier designs .

 

[turtlefoot13]

I'm wondering if it might be the equivalant of a Masonic ring for the Swastika Club. My home town had a chapter in the 1920's. It was some sort of ladies organization.

Doug

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

I think its just a Good Luck bracelet. Here are some Good Luck pins and brooch from 1911 Sears Roebuck.

 

[capndan151]

swastikas can also be good luck

 

[ballbuster]

Interesting. The swastikas in Bigcys. picture all face a different direction. Any thoughts??

 

[mrs.oroblanco]

The swastika symbol (same direction) was used for thousands of years (before Hitler got ahold of it, that is).

Before him, for over 3,000 years, it used to represent life, sun, power, strength, and good luck


B

 

[chirper97]

Informative thread!

 

[BioProfessor]

Hitler was not the first to rotate the Swastika. This is a medallion that came with the first official supplier of Boy Scout shoes in the early 1900's. It is an advertisement as well as a good luck token.

Daryl

 

[BioProfessor]

OK, now I get what you were saying. I was thinking you were talking about the "arms" of the Swastika pointing clockwise versus counterclockwise.

Daryl

 

[Bramblefind]

When I refer to ther Nazi sign being rotated, I am talking about the entire symbol. There are no true swastikas that are rotated on the axis that I am aware of...The nazi sign is not a true swastika.

I noticed that with this piece last night and looked into it a bit. It is rare but I was able to find other instances where pre-Nazi jewelry used a rotated swastika, i.e:

and

http://books.google.com/books?id=ic...-8859-1&output=html&source=gbs_search_r&cad=1


Also I think the design of the bracelet to be "pat apd for" would pre-date the Nazi era. I don't have any solid proof on that just that IMO the bracelet looks too simple for a 1930s, 1940s patent.

I've scanned through some of the patents but I haven't found one that matches this bracelet's design. There is this one from 1884 which is similiar:

http://www.google.com/patents?id=2y1jAAAAEBAJ&printsec=drawing&zoom=4#v=onepage&q=&f=false

 

[Bramblefind]

OMG I just looked at #290 in the link I provided above-

http://books.google.com/books?id=ic...-8859-1&output=html&source=gbs_search_r&cad=1

that reminds me very much of this bracelet.

 

[Bramblefind]

here it is #290

 

[72cheyenne]

OMG I just looked at #290 in the link I provided above-

http://books.google.com/books?id=ic...-8859-1&output=html&source=gbs_search_r&cad=1

that reminds me very much of this bracelet.

I'd say that is a great ID.