Vintage History: Sarna Brass
If you’re a pagan of any sort, you’re probably familiar with brass altar tools, but have you heard of Sarna Brass? When it comes to vintage brass pieces, Sarna’s a good indicator of quality, especially in bells. Look for the “SSS” mark on the piece.
Sarna Brass was started in 1920 out of Manhasset, NY, by Sajan Singh Sarna. Born in Rawalpindi, British India (now a part of Pakistan), Sarna came to the U.S. to study and found that Americans loved Indian handcrafts. In the early 1930s, despite the Depression, he began importing and selling handmade goods from India
A after dreaming about a bell in 1938, he changed focus to importing Indian brass bells. Each bell, which came with an attached story grew in popularity, topping out in the 1960s when it was known as Bells of Sarna. When Sarna died in the 1970s, the company shifted to selling a broader selection of items and changed its name to S.S. Sarna, Inc.
While you can find brass throughout most of our collection, only a few Sarna items appear, like these “SSS” stamped coasters/trays. My favorite is the long-handed bell in our Forest Altar Set.
