1 hour ago, ThomasPowers said:

I remember a Roman gravestone for a smith---hammer and tongs were prominent.  (Roman Museum in Bath several decades ago???)

Yorkshire Museum:

There's also this, from the Museo Nazionale d'Abruzzo, Aquila, Italy:

Good points JHCC and Thomas.  I was referring to the London pattern with its distinct shape in my earlier comments.  I agree fully on everything before that.  The hammer or tongs would be more identifiable when you had a square anvil.  Makes sense.

Wonder if they really sat down when they forged or if that was an uninformed artist's rendition?  I know silver smiths often sit when they work.

Hammer and tongs are the much more universal sign of the smith up to national flags. The Soviet Union wasn't known by the anvil and sickle. 

The above Roman carving (sign?) portrays two basic items relating to the craftsman. Hammer and tongs symbolizing the trade and knife? and lock? symbolizing specialties. Any question what the business is or what it does? 

On a humorous note, not trying to spark more than a smile here. Would boomers and younger think a business with an anvil for a logo was a Coyote extermination service?

Frosty The Lucky.

5 minutes ago, MC Hammer said:

Wonder if they really sat down when they forged or if that was an uninformed artist's rendition?

Most Roman relief carvings depicting blacksmiths show a similar setup as is used even now in Japan: seated smith, standing striker. There are a couple of funerary steles showing a standing smith working alone.

There are also several Greek vase paintings that depict seated smiths (especially Hephaestus making armor for Achilles) and their workshops; again, seated smith, standing striker.

6 minutes ago, Frosty said:

Hammer and tongs are the much more universal sign of the smith

Another Attic vase subject is the return of Hephaestus to Mount Olympus; here, he is identified by the hammer and tongs that he carries while riding on a donkey.

Intersting, I didn't know any of that JHCC.   

1 minute ago, JHCC said:

Another Attic vase subject is the return of Hephaestus to Mount Olympus; here, he is identified by the hammer and tongs that he carries while riding on a donkey.

I'll resist picking up the donkey straight line.  My muse is enjoying it though. 

Thanks for the grin John.

Frosty The Lucky.

Thank you for not saying anything asinine. 

Where's my carrot?

Frosty The Lucky.

I'm not going to make a joke in that vein; I'm cutting the carrot'd artery.

9 hours ago, Frosty said:

Would boomers and younger think a business with an anvil for a logo was a Coyote extermination service?

Possible ... and a sign with a tong may seem advertising for a dentist ...

Because I can't resist poking the dead equine, that's a HUGE square anvil in John's post above... perhaps the Romans were onboard with the bigger is better thing.

Colossal, even. 

Good one Marc1