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Collection

Talisman, c.1690

Lizard's leg and silver

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a lizard’s leg, mounted in a silver cradle decorated with filigree and beading, suspended from a ropetwist loop.

Possibly German, c.1690

Provenance

Exhibited:

Spellbound, Magic, Ritual & Witchcraft

at the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, 2018-2019.

The talisman would most likely have been worn among a selection of other amulets on a chatelaine. It would have been prized for its magical properties, as protection against evil and for its perceived prophylactic benefits.