The Swastika, the Earliest Known Symbol, and Its Migration: With Observations on the Migration of Certain Industries in Prehistoric TimesWilson, Thomas
Religion
The Swastika, the Earliest Known Symbol, and Its Migration: With Observations on the Migration of Certain Industries in Prehistoric Times
Wilson, Thomas
Industries, Primitive; Swastikas; Symbolism
[Illustration: Fig. 185. CINERARY URN WITH SWASTIKAS IN PANELS. San
Marino, near Albano, Italy. Vatican Museum.]
[Illustration: Fig. 186. CINERARY URN WITH SWASTIKAS INCLOSED BY INCISED
LINES IN INTAGLIO. Cervetri, Italy. "Conestabile due Dischi in Bronzo,"
pl. 5, fig. 2. 1/6 natural size.]
Figs. 185 and 186 represent the one-handled cinerary urns peculiar to the
Bronze Age in Italy. They are believed to have been contemporaneous with
or immediately succeeding the hut urns just shown. The cinerary urn shown
in fig. 185 was found at Marino, near Albano, in the same locality and
under the same condition as the hut urns. The original is in the Vatican
Museum and was figured by Pigorini in "Archæologia," 1869. Fig. 186 shows
a one-handled urn of pottery with Swastika (left) in intaglio, placed in a
band of incised squares around the body of the vessel below the shoulder.
A small though good example of Etruscan work is shown in the gold fibula
(fig. 187). It is ornamented on the outside with the fine gold filigree
work peculiar to the best Etruscan art. On the inside are two Swastikas.
It is in the Vatican Museum of Etruscan antiquities. Fig. 188 represents
another specimen of Etruscan gold filigree work with a circle and
Swastika. It is a "bulla," an ornament said to indicate the rank of the
wearer among the Etruscan people. It is decorated with a circle and
Swastika inside. The figure is taken from "L'Art pour Tous," and is
reproduced by Waring.
[Illustration: Fig. 187. GOLD FIBULA WITH SWASTIKAS (LEFT). Etruscan
Museum, Vatican. Catalogue of the Etruscan Museum, part 1, pl. 26, fig. 6.
1/2 natural size.]
[Illustration: Fig. 188. ETRUSCAN GOLD BULLA WITH SWASTIKA ON BOTTOM.
Waring, "Ceramic Art in Remote Ages," pl. 42, fig. 4_a_.]
[Illustration: Fig. 189. ORNAMENTAL SWASTIKA ON ETRUSCAN SILVER BOWL.
Cervetri (Cære), Etruria. Waring, "Ceramic Art in Remote Ages," pl. 41,
fig. 13.]
An ornamental Swastika (fig. 189) is found on a silver bowl from Cervetri
(Cære), Etruria. It is furnished by Grifi, and reproduced by Waring. This
specimen is to be remarked as having a small outward flourish from the
extreme end of each arm, somewhat similar to that made by the Jains (fig.
33), or on the "Tablet of honor" of Chinese porcelain (fig. 31). Fig. 190
shows an Etruscan bronze fibula with two Swastikas and two Maltese crosses
in the pin shield. It is in the Museum of Copenhagen, and is taken from
the report of the Congrés Internationale d'Anthropologie et d'Archæologie
Préhistorique, Copenhagen, 1875, page 486. This specimen, by its rays or
crotchets around the junction of the pin with the shield, furnishes the
basis of the argument by Goblet d'Alviella[197] that the Swastika was
evolved from the circle and was a symbol of the sun or sun-god. (See p.
785.)
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