The joy of contemporary thrifting is finding an unexpected treasure.
You must walk into a physical shop — no item found online constitutes an adventure. When I took my first step into Belfair’s The Hub Shop, I noticed something bright and unusual on a shelf across the room.
As I examined the latest shelf entries, that round item in the back drew me in with every glance.
I walked over to it, took it off the shelf, and turned to the thrifting stranger next to me and asked, “What the heck is this?” Then two more people approached to examine the 15-inch diameter flat bright patterned thing.
Upon first glance, I wondered if it might be the top of a small feature table. I could have used Google Lens for info, but the ensuing enthusiasm took over. Soon there were eight of us, laughing and wondering aloud. Then I put it in my cart and headed to the pay counter, where I paid $3.75 and took the pretty circle home.
Research began; it is likely a 1970s Pennsylvania Dutch hex silkscreen, designed by Jacob Zook. In the early 1940s, Zook, of Pennsylvania, pioneered the hand silk screening of hex signs, according to the lancasterpa.com website. This allowed more hex signs to be made quickly and affordably. Hex signs often decorate barns still today in Pennsylvania Dutch Country and beyond. The many colors and symbols convey many meanings, such as luck or protection.
So, what to do with it? It’s too big for my display cabinet, too strange for an open shelf, and has a painted surface possibly too fragile to use as a food serving tray. I could re-donate and let someone else continue the adventure and the research. But I kind of love it.
