Hex sign
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Hex signs are a form of Pennsylvania Dutch folk art, related to fraktur, found in the Fancy Dutch tradition in Pennsylvania Dutch Country. Barn paintings, usually in the form of "stars in circles", be
12-pointed compass rose on a hex sign
Barn with hex signs in Oley Township, Berks County, Pennsylvania in 1941
Barn with compass rose hex signs at the historic Mascot Mills in Lancaster County
A simple hex sign in the form of a compass rose on a suburban shed
Distelfink
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A distelfink is a stylized goldfinch, probably based on the European variety. It frequently appears in Pennsylvania Dutch folk art. It represents happiness and good fortune and the Pennsylvania German
Hex sign
…the 1950s commercialized hex signs, aimed at the tourist market, became popular and these often include stars, compass roses, stylized birds known as distelfinks, hearts, tulips, or a tree of life. Two schools of thought exist on the meaning of hex signs. One school ascribes a talismanic nature to the signs; the…
An ornate Taufschein, or baptismal certificate, bordered by two distelfinks
A European Goldfinch on a thistle