Tuesday, April 22, 2014

Native Peoples :: Symbolism

The hourglass symbol has signified many things through time. I have found it in Native American culture, Egyptian and even Free Masons. One of my favorites is the Lakota, a Native American tribe from the Black HIlls of South Dakota who believed there was a powerful connection between the sun and the Earth. They saw the design as an inverted triangle on top to symbolize the sky (sun or stars) as it touched the earth ... the bottom triangle being the earth. 

The Lakota followed the path of the sun by the shadows through the seasons (their version of a sun dial). They were nomadic and didn't always camp in the same place, so the shadows marked time and told them when to migrate to another location. 

Buffalo (an integral part of the culture) also had migratory patterns that coincided with the tribe's sacred sites. The Lakota painted star maps on hides, and believed buffalo embodied solar power; thus eating buffalo meat was eating energy from the sun.

While my bracelet here does not use colors that would have been typical to the Lakota (blue, white and brick red - the natural pigments of the time), the pattern embodies their sacred symbol and uses some interesting negative space. It is a pattern that Christine and I worked on using a design she created with a brick stitch, but I reversed the pattern to create the hourglass shape. 

25 comments:

  1. I'm loving this pattern! I like the negative space in there..

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  2. Interesting post!!! very pretty bracelet!!!
    Have a good week!! and my g+ for you!!!:)))

    Besos, desde España, Marcela♥

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  3. How interesting!
    I don't normally go for triangular shapes but it looks awesome on your bracelet!

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  4. Hello,Cynthia:
    Very interesting blog post.
    The design of the bracelet is very simple and elegant.The use of the negative space makes the bracelet light.
    -Warm Greetings-
    -Halinka-

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  5. Beautiful work....I grew up calling this pattern 'the light and the dark mountains' and learned that it also represents the self; just as the twin poles of the sacred lodge do.

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  6. This piece fascinates me...the mirror image, the negative space, the color choices. The colors give it a royal appearance, and your explanation of the symbolism is Native ~ it is a great world blend!

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  7. Cynthia, cool piece. Love that button closure embellishment on the end. To know bead stitches well enough to create a pattern. That takes talent! Love all the designs that you have been creating.

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  8. Cynthia your bracelet is great. I saved a pic of it in my inspiration file.

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  9. pretty nice blog, following :)

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  10. What a pretty bracelet - love the negative space and the double button clasp!
    Alenka

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  11. That looks very hard to make but it's beautiful! I like the colors you used and that clasp is awesome!

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  12. It's very regal with the burgundy and gold.

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  13. Beautiful Cynthia,
    I did not know these things about the hour glass shape in Indian Lore.
    Therese

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  14. I really do like this pattern. The negative space really adds to the bracelet and captures your attention. Plus, I always 'eat-up' the historic information you give on your blog - it's like my 'educational shot' for the day! LOVE it!

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  15. What a fabulous beaded design! So unique.

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  16. I love the meaning ;o) This bracelet is stunning!

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  17. Wow. For such a simple elegant design, it sure has a lot of wonderful history.

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  18. Wow. For such a simple elegant design, it sure has a lot of wonderful history.

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  19. Wow. For such a simple elegant design, it sure has a lot of wonderful history.

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  20. Wow. For such a simple elegant design, it sure has a lot of wonderful history.

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  21. Nice symbolism that of the Lakotas I imagine we are right in the middle of the hour glass then :)

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  22. The triangles are cool.

    When do you start on squares and rhomboids?

    Seriously though, have you ever made a bracelet based on a Moebius strip?

    That'd be ultra-cool.

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  23. Oh wow - what a beautiful design! I love the colours and how you did your clasp. Simply fabulous!

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  24. I somehow missed this post! The negative space adds a lot to the bracelet's design. It almost looks like ribbon.. really pretty, Cynthia.

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