Each Section 119 tie is made of 100 16 momme twill s. This navy tie features a green or yellow dancing bear emblem on the front. By wearing our 13-Point Lightning Bolt jewelry, fans can carry a piece of the Grateful Dead's iconic energy with them, serving as a reminder of the power of music to inspire and unite. Dance the night away at a corporate event or a show with this officially licensed Grateful Dead Navy Dancing Bear Tie. These pieces, including pendants, earrings, and bracelets, capture the essence of the Grateful Dead's electrifying performances and the transformative nature of their music.
In our sterling silver Grateful Dead collection, we've created a range of jewelry pieces that showcase the distinctive 13-Point Lightning Bolt design. Explore grateful dead GIFs GIPHY Clips Explore GIFs GIPHY is the platform that animates your world. Regardless of the intended meaning, the 13-Point Lightning Bolt has since taken on a life of its own, becoming a standalone symbol that represents the electric energy and spirit of the Grateful Dead. Others suggest that it could be a nod to the American flag, with the 13 points symbolizing the 13 original colonies. Some believe the number 13 holds spiritual significance, representing transformation and rebirth. The Lightning Bolt is unique in that it features 13 distinct points, a detail that has led to various interpretations among fans. This striking motif was originally designed as part of the Steal Your Face skull logo, symbolizing the unity of opposites and the transformative force of the band's music. From there, Deadheads began creating their own merchandise featuring the dancing bears including bootleg stickers and shirts to name a few, and the symbol was forevermore associated with the Dead.The 13-Point Lightning Bolt is an iconic symbol closely associated with the Grateful Dead and has become an emblem of the band's energy and power. Because the bears were featured on the album art as well as within the social sphere of communal drug use at the band’s live performances, they quickly became a symbol deeply entwined with the culture of listening to the Grateful Dead. What does this have to do with the dancing bears you ask?Īctually a lot! Following the release of the Dead’s album, the bears motif began appearing on Stanley’s LSD blotter art, which also just so happened to be widely circulated at most Grateful Dead concerts at the time. In addition to being the band’s sound engineer, Owsley Stanley was also one of the world’s first private LSD manufacturers.
The Bears originally appeared on the back cover of the Grateful Dead’s Bear’s Choice album launching the design into the public eye, but this album circulation only accounted for a portion of the rapid fame attributed to the bears. The actual principal design for the style of bear we now commonly associate with the Grateful Dead was born from a 36-point lead type slug featuring a generic bear print that Thomas found and used as his primary artistic inspiration. There is also speculation that the moniker “Dancing Bear” was attributed to Stanley in reference to his peculiar choice of dance moves at concerts while high on acid. The choice to create a symbol using bears as the focal point stems from Owsley Stanley’s nickname “Bear” given to him by childhood friends as a result of his excessive chest hair. In addition to these ubiquitous graphics, Thomas also designed the art for the The Dead’s Steal Your Face and Live Dead as well as the logo for Alembic, an American manufacturer of high-end electric guitars, basses and preamps started by Owsley Stanley, the Grateful Dead’s sound engineer. Thomas actually has a long history tied with The Dead having co-designed the band’s iconic “Lightning Bolt” logo with Owsley Stanley in 1969 as a means of keeping track of the band’s equipment while on tour.
The dancing bear design was originally created by artist and renaissance man Bob Thomas for use on the back of the Grateful Dead’s 1973 album The History of the Grateful Dead, Volume 1 (Bear’s Choice).
A Design Born from Artistic Collaboration