A late 19th Hand-Made American Flag with 13 Six-Pointed Stars forming an Even Larger Six-pointed Star of David
Six pointed stars on American Flags are a very rare trait, shared only by a handful of known examples. The same can be said of flags with cantons arranged in a six-pointed great star configuration. This configuration of stars on a flag of pieced and sewn construction is known on less than four or five surviving flags. The pattern is very similar to the star pattern seen on the official Great Seal of the United States. The first die of the Great Seal, cast from brass in 1792, featured a "glory" of six pointed stars arranged to form a single six pointed star. Although the "glory" on the Great Seal is oriented to with a single star at the top, the "glory" pattern on this flag is rotated 90 degrees. - American National Flag, 13 Stars, Six-pointed Stars, RareFlags.com (http://www.rareflags.com)
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Flags were hand made until the late 1800's when factories began manufacturing them. Originally flags were very creative and individualistic. There was no established pattern. Most colonists drew stars using 6 points. More of the early flags had 6-pointed stars than any other number of points. I have never read if there was any meaning behind it. It may have reflected a Judeo-Christian connection, for the messiah, or it may have just been easy to make.
ReplyDelete5-pointed stars were originally rare in the Colonies. 5-pointed stars were the design of ancient Egypt. They represented Egyptian deities, sometimes associated with human sacrifice. You can see them in Masonic art. Masons were powerful in our government, and Washington DC is laid out in a pentagram (5-points). It is very curious to me that when flags became standardized the 5-pointed stars suddenly took-over.
If you look at early coins, they also have 6-pointed stars.
When the flag design was standardized it was NOT specified what type of stars to make. You can make them any way you wish.
I am descended from both Protestant and Sephardi Jewish settlers who came here in the 1600's and blended together on the frontier. The early contribution of Jews to our nation has been recognized. I had Colonial flags made for my descendants with the original 6-pointed stars because it represents the original America of the people.
I do not understand how the site wants me to sign in. This is:
Dave buckskin@mtintouch.net