Feeling rebellious? Well, here’s a practical anarchist gift: the famous A and O symbol daubed onto a rather hastily painted red and black background – let's face it, if you're an anarchist you don't stand on ceremony.
That’s not to say anarchy is without tradition though. These colors were used by Italian anarchists as early as 1864, and diagonally divided red and black flags were popularized as anarchist symbols during the Spanish Civil War. The letters signify ‘anarchism’ and ‘order.’ Together, they stand for the notion that ‘society seeks order in anarchy.’ Although the symbol first gained currency in Spain in the late 19th century, it became particularly well known when it was taken up by the British anarcho-punk movement in the 1970s. Rock on, rebels! Let's hope that this tea towel will bring some order to the washing up!
