Pepsi-cola / deco / basket-weave / soda bottle design pattern

[SODAPOPBOB]

My latest research project might seem a little far fetched at first glance, but because it involves a particular style of Pepsi Cola bottle that most collectors have, I thought it might qualify as an interesting topic of discussion. It involves your everyday Pepsi bottle from the 1940s and is the one sometimes referred to as the "wave" bottle that has Pepsi-Cola embossed on the shoulder which is alternated with what can best be described as a "basket-weave" pattern. The bottle design was patented in 1940 and was produced at first with a paper label and later as an ACL (applied color label) bottle.

The primary focus of my research is threefold ...

1. To identify the origin of the Pepsi-Cola basket-weave pattern.
2. To search for other soda bottles that might have used the same exact pattern.
3. To identify the origin of the "Chevrolet" looking symbol on the George N. Mas patent.

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During the course of my research I have looked at hundreds of various basket-weave patterns and the closest example I could find to the Pepsi-Cola pattern is one from the Cherokee Indians. It is referred to as a "Twill" weave and is very common on Cherokee baskets. But this is not to say that the basket-weave pattern on Pepsi-Cola bottles is definitely that of a Cherokee pattern, but rather that it most closely matches the hundreds of various patterns I have looked at. In the pictures that follow please notice that the most characteristic aspect to the basket-weave pattern in question is that it encompasses all of the various angles, including ...

1. Horizontal
2. Vertical
3. Diagonal

Also please notice that the almost identical pattern is used on both the 1940s Pepsi-Cola bottles as well as on the George N. Mas bottle patent 75,741 which was patented in 1928. Its this twelve year difference between the two patent designs that truly intrigues me and makes me wonder what was so special about that particular basket-weave pattern to cause two different designers to use it at two different times? But then again, maybe its just a generic pattern and has no specific source of origin whatsoever. I'm hoping by shedding some light on the basket-weave pattern that others might discover something about it that I might have missed and possibly be able to say once and for all time that the Pepsi-Cola basket-weave pattern originated from ... ????

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As for the so called "Chevrolet" symbol on the 1928 George N. Mas patent, I tried to research that too but didn't come up with anything specific as to it's origin. However, I did discover that it is not identical to the Chevrolet symbol which was introduced around 1913. Notice the Mas symbol slants in opposite directions at the ends whereas the Chevrolet symbol slants in the same direction (to the left) at the ends. One idea I had for the Mas symbol is that it might be related to some kind of cross or possibly a Native American thunderbird, but my findings in this regard are inconclusive at present and I am still searching as to where the Mas symbol might have originated.

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I decided to lump all of my various links together on this first page which can be accessed now as well as later for future reference. The various pictures that follow will be individually titled and relate to the information on this first page as well as the links where I found some of the pictures that follow.

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If you have any insights regarding all of this and/or examples of other soda bottles that have the same distinctive "twill basket-weave pattern," please share that information and pictures with us.

Thanks a lot. I hope you find this thread to be both interesting as well as fun.

Sincerely,

Sodapopbob

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Various Links:

Pepsi Cola Patent Link: James S. Steelman

PS://www.Google.com/patents/USD120277?pg=PA2&dq=bottle+120,277&hl=en&as=X&ei=gz8KUvrzIPDYyQGOloC4Dg&ved=0CDYQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=bottle%20120%2C277&f=false

George N. Mas Patent Link:

https://www.google.com/patents/USD7...0CDQQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=bottle 75,741&f=false

Bill Lockhart Link: With use of the word "Basketweave" related to Pepsi-Cola bottles

http://www.sha.org/bottle/pdffiles/epchap7c.pdf

Cherokee Basket Link: With the Similar Basket-weave pattern

http://www.cyberrug.com/cherokee_antique_basket_12911.htm

According to Wikipedia the Cherokee were principally located in Georgia, North Carolina, and East Tennessee

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cherokee

 

[SODAPOPBOB]

Close Up of Basket-Weave Pattern on Pepsi-Cola bottle ...

 

[SODAPOPBOB]

George N. Mas 1928 patent with almost identical basket-weave pattern ... Plus so called "Chevrolet" symbol

 

[SODAPOPBOB]

Circa 1880-1890 Cherokee Basket with similar pattern ... From north Georgia

 

[SODAPOPBOB]

Chevrolet "Bowtie" symbol introduced around 1913 ... Notice the angles at the ends

 

[SODAPOPBOB]

Here's the Pepsi-Cola patent link again that didn't copy/paste properly the first time ...

 

[SODAPOPBOB]

Check this out ... I just this minute discovered it

 

[SODAPOPBOB]

As I said earlier, I'm not certain the basket-weave pattern on the Pepsi and Deco bottle is Cherokee, but the more I look at examples from various other tribes the more I like the patterns of the Cherokee. This link shows example patterns of Cherokee baskets as well as pottery ...

http://www.gustavslibrary.com/cherokeearts.htm

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Pottery

 

[SODAPOPBOB]

Cherokee Basket / Cropped Close Up ...

 

[SODAPOPBOB]

Here's a sideway view of the Pepsi-Cola basket-weave pattern ...