Amulet thumbnail 1
Not currently on display at the V&A

Amulet

1800-1899 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Amulets were worn by men, women and children throughout southern Europe in the 19th century. Before the development of modern medicine, fevers, cramps and toothache could be painful and dangerous. Childbirth could kill mother or child. Many people believed that the supernatural powers embodied in an amulet could promote fertility and good health and offer protection against malign forces or the ‘evil eye’. Although the Catholic Church was opposed to the pagan nature of many amulets, it was powerless to prevent their use.

Amulets gain their power to protect from harm, or to attract good fortune, from their colour, pattern or material. Sharp objects, such as teeth or horns, were believed to have the ability to protect against the evil eye. Amulets made of boar’s tusks, like this, were mainly used for children. They had a double function: they protected the child against the evil eye and also helped while teething.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
Boar's tusk mounted in silver
Brief description
Boar's tusk amulet mounted in silver, Madrid (Spain), 1800-1899.
Physical description
Boar's tusk mounted in silver as an amulet. The mount covers the top end of the tusk. It has an engraved band, with teeth along the edge which grasps the tusk. There is a short length of loop-in-loop chain attached to the outer side of the mount by a figure-of-eight link.
Dimensions
  • Amulet height: 6.2cm
  • Amulet width: 7.3cm
  • Amulet depth: 1.8cm
  • Chain length: 10.0cm
  • Chain diameter: 0.4cm
Credit line
Hildburgh gift
Summary
Amulets were worn by men, women and children throughout southern Europe in the 19th century. Before the development of modern medicine, fevers, cramps and toothache could be painful and dangerous. Childbirth could kill mother or child. Many people believed that the supernatural powers embodied in an amulet could promote fertility and good health and offer protection against malign forces or the ‘evil eye’. Although the Catholic Church was opposed to the pagan nature of many amulets, it was powerless to prevent their use.

Amulets gain their power to protect from harm, or to attract good fortune, from their colour, pattern or material. Sharp objects, such as teeth or horns, were believed to have the ability to protect against the evil eye. Amulets made of boar’s tusks, like this, were mainly used for children. They had a double function: they protected the child against the evil eye and also helped while teething.
Bibliographic reference
'Catalogo de Amuletos del Museo de Pueblo Espanol', Ministerio de Cultura, Madrid, 1987, no. 1,842, p. 58; no. 1,925, p. 62; no. 11,655 p. 121; 13,186, p. 132.
Collection
Accession number
M.13-1917

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Record createdJune 24, 2009
Record URL
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