This symbol and other nearly-identical S-shaped motifs have appeared for at least hundreds of years. A similar pattern can be seen in 14th-century tilework at the central courtyard of the Sultan Hassan Mosque in Cairo , [6] as well as in the background of the 1533 painting " The Ambassadors " by Hans Holbein. It is also visually similar to the ancient Latvian "Zalkša zīme" symbol and the Dacian "Carligul Ciobanului" symbol. The Cool S , also known as the Stussy S , Super S , Superman S , Universal S , Pointy S , Middle School S , Graffiti S , [1] and by many other names, is a graffiti sign in popular culture that is typically doodled on children's notebooks or graffitied on walls. The exact origin of the Cool S is unknown, [1] but it may have originated from geometry textbooks [2] [3] and has appeared around the early 1970s as a part of graffiti culture. [4] [5] Contrary to popular belief, the symbol has ties to neither the U.S. clothing brand Stüssy nor to the character Superman , though Stüssy did conduct an interview in 2010 with Jon Naar , a pioneer graffiti photographer with many works including this S, dating…