Pictures: New display of strange good-luck charms
- Published
Do you keep things which bring good luck? An exhibition in London has revealed a rare collection of ancient lucky charms. These beads were secretly worn by children over a hundred years ago, to stop them getting ill.
An ancient farmer thought this sheep's heart would stop his other animals from dying! It's just one of thousands of objects in the new exhibition.
Edward Lovett (1852-1933) was so fascinated, he collected all these objects from around the world. This is a real stone with a hole in it! Legend had it that if you found one by accident, it would give you magic powers.
All these objects are called amulets, meaning 'something to be held close'. This fish was carved out of real fish bone and was thought to bring good luck to sailors at sea.
Edward Lovett found this in London - a dead mole in a bag! People believed it would protect them from illnesses. Can you imagine holding this? Small animals' feet and teeth were also thought to bring good luck.
This amulet is a cloth 'ticket'. German travellers used it to be protected from accidents. The writing is in French, and shows images of the three wise men from the Nativity story.
Finally, these beautiful glass seahorses were found in Italy. They were lucky charms to mothers who fed their children. The whole collection has been kept safe since Lovett died in 1933, and can now be seen at the Wellcome Trust in London.