Gold touchpiece, given to the sick in the ceremony of healing by touch, issued by James II, English, 1685-1688
A touchpiece is a medal or token believed to be imbued with the power to heal because it had been touched by a monarch. From the Middle Ages, it was believed that monarchs had the power to heal through touch and that this power was given to them by God. The tradition of the 'royal touch' began with Edward the Confessor (1003-1066) and continued until the end of Queen Anne's reign in 1714.
James II (king from 1685-1688) gave the ‘royal touch’ to this touchpiece and passed it on to his subjects in the hope of curing scrofula, a form of tuberculosis also known as the King’s Evil. This touchpiece has been pierced so that it could be suspended by a ribbon and worn around the neck.
Details
- Category:
- Ethnography and Folk Medicine
- Collection:
- Sir Henry Wellcome's Museum Collection
- Object Number:
- A40464
- Materials:
- gold
- Measurements:
-
overall: 1 mm 19 mm, 0.002 kg
- type:
- touchpieces
- credit:
- Wilson
