Gilt medal of St. Hubert and St. Roch, loop for suspension as holy pendant, possibly French, 1830-1900
St Hubert (c. 656-c. 728) is shown on the medal on the bottom left hand side. Hubert was a Christian bishop and was usually called upon through prayer to cure and protect against rabies.
The reverse shows St Roch (1295-1327), a Christian saint. Roch was a Christian pilgrim who was believed to cure those with, and protect against, plague. Once plague was no longer a threat in Europe, St Roch’s protection was transferred to other diseases, such as cholera. Amulets have been worn for thousands of years to protect the wearer from illness, ill fortune and bad luck. It is shown here with two other amulets featuring images of St Roch (A677845 and A678713).
Details
- Category:
- Wellcome Medals
- Collection:
- Sir Henry Wellcome's Museum Collection
- Object Number:
- A677945
- Materials:
- gilt
- Measurements:
-
overall: 22 mm x 2 mm 20 mm, .005kg
- type:
- medal