2225 – Ferret Bone Charm
- Physical description:
- One side of the upper jaw bone of a ferret, with four of the teeth still attached. Drilled to be worn on wrist or neck.
- Museum classification:
- Spells and charms
- Size:
- 64 x 27 x 12
- Information:
CWOLC 10264 states:
"Henry Allen, well known Southdown shepherd, working in the Washington area of Sussex, in the 1880's always carried this jaw bone of a ferret as a charm to help him find any of his sheep that had become lost on strayed."
"...jaw bone and teeth of a ferret, worn by a Sussex publican as a protection charm against attack upon the person. He had it from a shepherd and wore it around his neck till the time of his death in 1919." (Document 8190)
Analysis (visual and comparative) (26/7/16) revealed that this bone was indeed a ferret jaw bone, roughly equal in size to similar bones in the object record. It is probable, given the provenance of the object (collected in central Southern England) that this was one of a number of items purchased by Cecil Williamson from the estate of Edward Lovett, see the following references in the Archive Collection:
- Resource:
- Object
- Materials:
- Bone, tooth
CWOLC 10264 states:
"Henry Allen, well known Southdown shepherd, working in the Washington area of Sussex, in the 1880's always carried this jaw bone of a ferret as a charm to help him find any of his sheep that had become lost on strayed."
"...jaw bone and teeth of a ferret, worn by a Sussex publican as a protection charm against attack upon the person. He had it from a shepherd and wore it around his neck till the time of his death in 1919." (Document 8190)
Analysis (visual and comparative) (26/7/16) revealed that this bone was indeed a ferret jaw bone, roughly equal in size to similar bones in the object record. It is probable, given the provenance of the object (collected in central Southern England) that this was one of a number of items purchased by Cecil Williamson from the estate of Edward Lovett, see the following references in the Archive Collection: