At the sign of the "striped pole"
Barber's poles have a storied, slightly macabre history; during the Middle Ages, barbers performed surgery on customers, as well as tooth extractions.
The original pole had a brassen wash basin at the top (representing the vessel in which leeches were kept) and bottom (representing the basin that received the blood).
The pole itself represents the staff that the patient gripped during the procedure to encourage blood flow, and the twined pole motif is likely related to the Caduceus, the staff of the Greek god of speed and commerce Hermes.
Wellington, Somerset, UK.
At the sign of the "striped pole"
Barber's poles have a storied, slightly macabre history; during the Middle Ages, barbers performed surgery on customers, as well as tooth extractions.
The original pole had a brassen wash basin at the top (representing the vessel in which leeches were kept) and bottom (representing the basin that received the blood).
The pole itself represents the staff that the patient gripped during the procedure to encourage blood flow, and the twined pole motif is likely related to the Caduceus, the staff of the Greek god of speed and commerce Hermes.
Wellington, Somerset, UK.