Questions tagged [symbols]
The symbols tag has no usage guidance.
11 questions with no upvoted or accepted answers
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What's the significance of a wreath hung on the traverse / ridge pole of a tent in a military camp?
The first time I saw it, I thought it was odd, but then, 18th century artists love putting strange details in things, so I went on my merry way. But I've seen it a few times since, and now I've got ...
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Do these depictions of hunt in medieval Catholic churches have the same symbolic meaning? If not, what is it?
I have come across 3 depictions of a hunt in Catholic churches.
The first two are tiles that were on the floors of an English abbey and a church not far from Reims, France; I could not find any ...
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In allegorical depictions of geometry, why show the earth as encircled by a snake?
Various early modern allegorical paintings or engravings show a personification of geometry with a globe of the earth with a snake, and sometimes with a frog. Here are some examples:
(Only a detail of ...
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Was there an alchemical symbol given for pitchblende?
In 1789 Martin Klaproth isolated uranium from pitchblende for the first recorded time, however uranite was used in dying glass in the first century.
Through the age of alchemy, I have not been able to ...
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What’s the meaning of the rabbit in the talons of an eagle?
Eagle House, in Mitcham, south west London, England, was built around 1706, probably for Fernando Mendez a royal physician.
On top of two brick piers at the front of the house is a statue of an eagle ...
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What is the history of the "surrender" gesture?
The surrender gesture seems to be obvious to us - you drop your weapon, put your hands up and maybe drop to your knees or even prostrate yourself.
But were those gestures universal across the globe ...
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What did Boston shoemakers do with cattle brands?
In the Mexican era, whole cattle hides were California's principal export. To prevent theft law enforcement sometimes checked the brands on hides before they were exported by sailing ship. Most went ...
user18968
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What is the source for the statement that red hands were used as a symbol of protest against the Vietnam War?
I have read that the red hand, or rather hands painted with red color, have been used as a symbol of protests against the Vietnam War:
During the Vietnam era, it was a symbol calling for strikes ...
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What are the two symbols on top of the tower on the Charles Bridge in Prague?
What are called the two symbols of (probably) rotating Sun located on the top of the tower on the Charles Bridge in Prague on the Old Town side? Each of them is depicted to rotate in different ...
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What are the figures on the top of the Last Judgement of Hunefer? What is the green furry thing? Why are some but not all holding an ankh?
I know the first statue represents Ra-Horakhty, the second one is Atum, third is Shu, and the sixth one is probably Sekhmet, but I have no clue what are the rest.
Also, what is the object that is in ...
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Why have hand-crafted invasion stripes and arm bands been used in recent conflicts in addition to the usual military insignia?
Simple and vivid symbols on military vehicles are known as invasion stripes since at least as early as World War II, when they were invented because the sheer numbers of the invading force might have ...
