Introducing the Friday Flick – this is where I randomly flick through my 140,000 word PhD thesis and tell you a story about what’s on the page I land on!
Let’s go…
Today’s flick is about Coral rattles and bells!
Throughout history, Coral, along with a number of other materials (and forms like bells) had many associations with protecting children in some way – particularly against the evil eye!
My PhD into the history of children’s jewellery and its fashions uncovered a number of ‘magic’ materials that were then made into jewellery so that children could ‘wear’ the protection.
But today’s flick has further associations with protecting children from infant death – although I wonder if it did actually do that?
What do you think – would you give these to your baby?
Today’s flick details fig 136 of my PhD thesis: 1797 – Silver-Gilt Rattle of George III design with coral teething stem, twelve bells and a whistle. Sotheby’s, London
