Heart-shaped amulet

Made:
1914-1918 in England

Small heart-shaped glass amulet with four-leaved clover image, supposedly carried by man from a London regiment during the First World War, 1914-1918, from the Lovett collection.

The carrying of ‘lucky charms’ – as protective amulets against ill health and physical danger – is common in many cultures around the world. This small glass amulet combines both a heart-shape and a four-leaf clover design, both of which are strongly associated with good luck. It was reputedly carried by man from a London regiment during the First World War, 1914-1918

The amulet was bought for the Wellcome collection in 1930 from Edward Lovett’s (1852-1933) collection of British amulets and charms. Lovett was a collector who documented different medical traditions and beliefs.

Details

Category:
Ethnography and Folk Medicine
Collection:
Sir Henry Wellcome's Museum Collection
Object Number:
A79973
Materials:
glass
Measurements:
overall: 1 mm x 16 mm x 17 mm, .001 kg
type:
protective amulets
credit:
Lovett Collection