Zoar fraktur drawing   Save
Ohio History Connection Museum
Description: Fraktur drawing created by a member of the Society of Separatists of Zoar, a communal religious society who settled the village of Zoar in Tuscarawas County after leaving Germany. This piece shows a ribbon-like scroll with the words "Der Weg zum Sabbath der Ruhe" ("The Way to the Sabbath of Rest") arched across the top, and below are three intersecting circles. The top yellow circle includes the word "Sophia" along with angels, a sheaf of wheat, and a cross decorated with a heart and eye motif. The next circle, blue, includes a red cross, an eye, a sun, a moon, stars, a clock, and a black cross and spiral circle. The bottom circle is black with the word "Sathan" printed upside-down in white. The background behind the top circles has sun rays and at the bottom, darkness. This piece is attributed to the "Zoar Artist," which some scholars believe may refer to Thomas Maier (sometimes spelled Mayer) of Zoar, who was born in 1778 and died between 1850 and 1860. Fraktur is a style of folk art characterized by highly decorative illuminated illustrations, generally done in ink and watercolor. Common forms included writing samples, birth and baptism certificates, marriage documents and book plates. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: H51244
Subjects: Society of Separatists of Zoar; Zoar (Tuscarawas County, Ohio)--Social life and customs; Biblical teachings; Religion in Ohio; Folk art--Ohio;
Places: Zoar (Ohio); Tuscarawas County (Ohio)