PRE-1930 Fred Harvey Era Navajo Whirling Log Sterling Silver 925 Charm
PRE-1930 Fred Harvey Era Navajo Whirling Log Sterling Silver 925 Charm
The Whirling Log symbol is derived from a Navajo creation story or myth. However, in 1940, leaders from the Navajo, Hopi, Apache, and Tohono O’odham tribes signed a joint proclamation to forever cease the use of the emblem in their art to avoid association with Nazi Germany’s actions.
Condition: Pre-Owned
Price: USD 125.00
Seller: phenomenologist (100.0% positive feedback, 5017 reviews)
View this Fred Harvey item on eBay
Item Description from Seller
A charm, not a brooch or a pin.
I know for a fact, my late mother owned this, carefully kept in her jewelry box. It may have been a gift from my late father around 1930. It may have been a gift from her older brother as early as the mid 1920s.
It is 1.5 cm on a side, or about 5/8-inch, and worn, as you can see.
I know for a fact, my mother love Navajo jewelry, but our family had not the money to purchase same.
The Whirling Log symbol is derived from a Navajo creation story or myth. The legend tells of an outcast man who hollows out a log to travel down the San Juan River. During his journey, he encounters deities (Holy People) and endures misadventures, eventually acquiring important knowledge of farming and healing, which he brings back to his people.
Clearly, with the rise of Nazi Germany, swastikas, which this somewhat resembles, but which have absolutely nothing to do with Native American beliefs, the symbol could easily have been misinterpreted.
The symbol was widely popular in Native American art, jewelry, and weavings between the late 1800s and 1940, often encouraged by traders who saw it as a universal good luck charm. However, in 1940, leaders from the Navajo, Hopi, Apache, and Tohono O'odham tribes signed a joint proclamation to forever cease the use of the emblem in their art to avoid association with Nazi Germany's actions.
