Hey everyone, I don’t have specific antiques or artworks to throw at all of you today, but Halloween is right around the corner and I’m very excited for the second Hocus Pocus movie, so let’s get into some spooky arts for the season! Halloween has seen many changes throughout the years but has become quite uniquely American in many aspects, with depictions not only in popular media, but in antique fashion plates, textiles, and decorative objects. I’ll be drawing from Hocus Pocus, but more specifically witches, a symbol that has become synonymous with the holiday. Witches have deep roots in America through the Salem Witch Trials of the late 17th century, a well-known tragedy that many people, especially in New England, are aware of. However, the idea of witchcraft and spells was not only a prominent issue within Salem, but it was also a widespread idea that ran through many communities. A recognizable example that Americans often see in both modern and antique renditions come from the Pennsylvania Dutch communities. You may have noticed elaborate geometric medallions decorating throw pillows, furniture, and cookware especially in more rustic designs. The quaint country folk art look that many people find charming, and desirable has had a long history with no real answer behind their meaning. It is speculated that early Dutch settlers believed that witches would ruin their crops so they would paint their barns with these elaborate designs called “hexes” that resembled rosettes and five pointed stars, aptly named barn stars. Others speculate that they were just a cultural continuation of art from their homeland, as examples of these hexes have been found incorporated into the architecture of other European countries such as Poland and in Scandinavia. Some of the earliest printed depictions of these barn stars come from the 1875 print from the Schuylkill County Centennial Atlas and in fraktur art. The Pennsylvania Dutch however used this symbolism throughout many aspects such as furniture, documentation, and tombstones. Regardless, the idea of the hexes may have also sprung from a tourist guidebook and an unfortunate witchcraft related murder in 1929 in Pennsylvania. This occurrence may have started the idea of these designs warding off evil, at least in America. In Europe, there was also a simultaneous divide on the meaning, and this divide may have influenced the American interpretation. Whether or not the hexes were attributed to spells because of tourism or because they hold cultural significance, the impact that they have had on American folk art is undoubtedly spectacular. These colorful swirling patterns have become synonymous with Pennsylvania folk art and have withstood the test of time.
