70 – Get Lost Box
- Physical description:
- Get lost box inside lady's stocking.
- Museum classification:
- Spells & charms
- Size:
- 70 x 80 mm
- Information:
It was common practice to consult your local witch when you wanted to get rid of someone or something. Often the witch would place a representation of the problem to be banished in a 'get lost box' and leave it at a crossroads. Liza Pengelly of Saltash who made this one always put her boxes inside a stocking.
Original text by Cecil Williamson: 'Liza Pengelly of Saltash always used a sexy ladies' stocking for her take-aways - and still does.'
Some Swiss visitors told us that a method of curing illness still used in Switzerland consists of the sick person putting a piece of rice paper in their mouth, visualising the illness passing from them into the paper, then putting the paper into a wooden box and putting the box on the fire.This object was damaged in the 2004 flood, with the joints of the box coming apart, and the veneer separating from the wood. As a result the contents of the box are free to escape. The box is also still dirty with the very fine mud that was deposited during the flood, as it is impossible to clean it without also risking removing some of the box's contents.
- Resource:
- Object
- Materials:
- Wood, stocking
- Copyright ownership:
- Copyright to The Museum of Witchcraft Ltd.
It was common practice to consult your local witch when you wanted to get rid of someone or something. Often the witch would place a representation of the problem to be banished in a 'get lost box' and leave it at a crossroads. Liza Pengelly of Saltash who made this one always put her boxes inside a stocking.
Original text by Cecil Williamson: 'Liza Pengelly of Saltash always used a sexy ladies' stocking for her take-aways - and still does.'
Some Swiss visitors told us that a method of curing illness still used in Switzerland consists of the sick person putting a piece of rice paper in their mouth, visualising the illness passing from them into the paper, then putting the paper into a wooden box and putting the box on the fire.
This object was damaged in the 2004 flood, with the joints of the box coming apart, and the veneer separating from the wood. As a result the contents of the box are free to escape. The box is also still dirty with the very fine mud that was deposited during the flood, as it is impossible to clean it without also risking removing some of the box's contents.