RoughAshlar (14/03/2010)
[1] Crucifix belonging to my great-great grandfather.
At the foot of the crucifix from his coffin, there is an equilateral triangle, with the apex pointing up with a skull and crossbones on the triangle. The skull is in the upper third and the crossbones are approximately central.
There is also a thirteen pointed blazing star at the union of the vertical and the cross-bar of the crucifix above the head of the crucified Christ. Within the blazing star there is a circular ornamentation of two interwoven sinusoidal circles.
Are these Masonic symbols?
[2] Bracelet.
* It consists of seven segments, all identical.
* Each segment has what appears to be a KT Malta cross at the top,
* A skull below, a pair of perforations of roughly 1:1.618 proportions at the 2 o'clock and 10 o'clock positions each being tilted towards the outer edge of the segment at rough 30 degrees from the vertical
* Two arcs each consisting of four 'dots' at the five o'clock and seven o'clock positions.
Any hints about its origin or meaning?It would be helpful to see pictures of the items to really have any clues as the written word can rarely convey what the eye should be seeing.
Without wanting to seem like a party-pooper, I would urge you not to approach this from the view point that there is any Masonic influence on the pieces as you haven't mentioned any symbols that are uniquely Masonic yet.
The equilateral triangle is basically an old Christian symbol that represents the Christian Trinity (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) as 3 equal parts of the Divine. Freemasonry has borrowed it and applies it in a similar fashion.
Skull and bones (crossed or not) are the age old memento mori (emblem of mortality) a reminder that all of us die. Freemasonry uses them in the same way. Much of its history it has been used as a warning of the likelihood of death from a certain action (drinking poison for example).
A 13 point star can mean almost anything linked to 13, however a glory tends to represent God the Creator.
Cross Patees are not particularly Masonic but they are used in the chivalric degrees but that's because they were used by the original Orders themselves.
