187 – Clay Ape like Curse with pins

Physical description:

Ape-like clay figure used as poppet-making assistant. With pins, four straws, plate and four phials of coloured powder.

Museum classification:

Curses

Size:

200 mm high

Information:

Now the west country witch, who set up this ape-like female as her pinsticking poppet making assistant, must have been into poppet making full time. The familiar figure offers the pins, extra stock lies ready on the plate base. The cafe drinking straws are for breathing in life to the poppet or, as at times when death is required, sucking out the life-giving air from the poppet doll. The tubes of coloured powder are used to mix with and colour the clays or waxes forming the flesh of the doll. Text by Cecil Williamson
Features in a photograph of Cecil Williamson in the archive 1657.

Resource:

Object

Materials:

Clay, metal pins

Copyright ownership:

Copyright to The Museum of Witchcraft Ltd.

Now the west country witch, who set up this ape-like female as her pinsticking poppet making assistant, must have been into poppet making full time. The familiar figure offers the pins, extra stock lies ready on the plate base. The cafe drinking straws are for breathing in life to the poppet or, as at times when death is required, sucking out the life-giving air from the poppet doll. The tubes of coloured powder are used to mix with and colour the clays or waxes forming the flesh of the doll. Text by Cecil Williamson
Features in a photograph of Cecil Williamson in the archive 1657.