Amulet
1800-1870 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
The Horse Chestnut nut, or castaño de Indias, was a very common amulet in the Salamanca region. Adults and children both used it. It was believed to prevent childhood eczema, of the kind which caused unsightly eruptions on the face while teething. Among adults, it was considered very effective against rheumatism and haemorrhoids. Women usually wore it openly, mounted as a pendant like this one, but men preferred to carry one unmounted in their pocket.
This amulet was bought for five shillings at the International Exhibition, London, 1872.
This amulet was bought for five shillings at the International Exhibition, London, 1872.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Silver-plated frame holding a horse chestnut nut |
| Brief description | Horse chestnut amulet in a silver-plated frame, Salamanca (Spain), 1800-1870. |
| Physical description | Horse chestnut set in a silver-plated frame, with broad teeth with engraved grooves on either side, which enclose the nut. There is a strip of twisted wire running round the outside of the frame. At the top there is a cast pierced motif holding a loose ring for suspension. |
| Dimensions |
|
| Summary | The Horse Chestnut nut, or castaño de Indias, was a very common amulet in the Salamanca region. Adults and children both used it. It was believed to prevent childhood eczema, of the kind which caused unsightly eruptions on the face while teething. Among adults, it was considered very effective against rheumatism and haemorrhoids. Women usually wore it openly, mounted as a pendant like this one, but men preferred to carry one unmounted in their pocket. This amulet was bought for five shillings at the International Exhibition, London, 1872. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | 1110-1873 |
About this object record
Explore the Collections contains over a million catalogue records, and over half a million images. It is a working database that includes information compiled over the life of the museum. Some of our records may contain offensive and discriminatory language, or reflect outdated ideas, practice and analysis. We are committed to addressing these issues, and to review and update our records accordingly.
You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.
Suggest feedback
You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.
Suggest feedback
| Record created | June 24, 2009 |
| Record URL |
Download as: JSONIIIF Manifest
