Without seeing the exact photo, the description strongly matches a very well-known gesture called the “fig sign.”
✊ What It Likely Is: The “Fig Sign”
- A hand with the thumb tucked between the index and middle fingers
- Has been used for centuries across different cultures
👉 According to historical sources, this gesture is:
- Often considered rude or obscene in some places
- Also used to deny a request (“you get nothing”)
- In other cultures, it can even act as a good luck or protective symbol (Wikipedia)
🌍 Why It’s Confusing
This gesture has multiple meanings depending on context:
⚠️ Negative meanings
- Insult or vulgar reference (common in parts of Europe/Middle East)
- A dismissive “no” or refusal
👍 Neutral / playful meanings
- A joke (like “got your nose” with kids)
- Teasing gesture
🧿 Positive meanings (some cultures)
- Protection against bad luck or the “evil eye”
🧠 So What Did Your Brother See?
Most likely:
- Someone making a fig sign gesture with their hand
- Not anything supernatural or mysterious—just a human hand sign with cultural meaning
💡 Bottom line:
It’s an old, widely used hand gesture that can be either rude, playful, or symbolic depending on where and how it’s used.
If you can upload or describe the photo (shape, lighting, object, etc.), I can give you a much more precise identification 👍
