Diamond shaped enamelled metal amulet, carrying the number 13 on front and with a loop to attach as a pendent, said to be from Paris and dated 1914, and carried by a soldier during the First World War.
The carrying of ‘lucky charms’ – as protective amulets against ill health and physical danger – is common in many cultures around the world. Luck played a major role in combatant’s fate during the First World War, 1914-1918. As such, soldiers of all nations put great faith in lucky charms and amulets. Whether given by family and loved ones, bought commercially or chosen for personal significance, these special forms of protection were carried into battle.
This diamond shaped enamelled metal amulet, said to be from Paris in 1914, carries the number 13 on front and has a loop to attach as a pendent. It is recorded as being carried by a soldier during the First World War. The number 13 is usually associated with bad luck but in certain societies the opposite has been the case. It was traditionally considered a lucky number in France prior to the war and was commonly used as a good luck symbol on charms, postcards and other items.
Details
- Category:
- Ethnography and Folk Medicine
- Collection:
- Sir Henry Wellcome's Museum Collection
- Object Number:
- A666158
- Materials:
- alloy
- Measurements:
-
overall: 2 mm x 27 mm x 31 mm, .004 kg
- type:
- pendants
- credit:
- Loan, Wellcome Trust
