I found this at a thrift store a few years ago and I’ve struggled to identify any of the symbols. I’ve tried online symbol databases, I think I tried reverse image searching, and I’ve tried just scrolling endless “fish” symbols to no avail. It’s handmade and uses poly-fabrics, so it’s certainly not an antique (or at least not a really old antique).
I love it. I think it looks really cool. I don’t want to hang it up, though, if it has meaningful and/or religious meaning that would make that inappropriate.
Can anyone toss a theory my way? Is this religious imagery? Will it curse my descendants? Is this someone’s Saturday afternoon craft, and they had no foresight that their fun “designs” would torture the back of my brain for years?
It reminds me of some of the stuff I’ve seen during Boy Scout ceremonies.
As a Protestant Christian, it looks roman Catholic. Probably xpost to a Catholic sublemmy.
So, I grew up Catholic, and a few of those symbols do look kind of similar to things I’d see in church, etc., they’re also different enough to make me think it’s probably just coincidental. That being said, it’s been decades since I’ve been a practicing Catholic, and I suppose it’s always possible that these are someone’s personal/artistic renditions of “official” symbols.
I’d guess it is some group of Christian symbols, possibly homemade.
- Cross
- Stylized cross
- ?
- triangle shape possibly represents the trinity?
- Fish - associated with Jesus
- Backwards bow and arrow - ?
- 4 Candles, associated with the period of Advent in most Christian denominations
Lovely backwards bow and arrow, must be for self-harm.
The crosses, the triangle and the fish could be christianity-related symbols. No idea on the others.
