A history of amulets in ten objects
What are amulets? How are they situated in the larger narrative of European healing? Varied and complex objects, amulets present both challenges and opportunities for historians and museums alike. Yet an examination of these often-overlooked items within a medical context can provide significant inf...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Science Museum, London
2019-05-01
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| Series: | Science Museum Group Journal |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://journal.sciencemuseum.org.uk/browse/issue-11/a-history-of-amulets-in-ten-objects/ |
| _version_ | 1828400018801819648 |
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| author | Annie Thwaite |
| author_facet | Annie Thwaite |
| author_sort | Annie Thwaite |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | What are amulets? How are they situated in the larger narrative of European healing? Varied and complex objects, amulets present both challenges and opportunities for historians and museums alike. Yet an examination of these often-overlooked items within a medical context can provide significant information about cure and protection over different times and geographies. This article analyses ten amulets from the Science Museum collections, and asks what we can learn from exploring these objects’ material features and varying functions. It argues for a re-consideration of amulets from their categorisation by nineteenth- and twentieth-century collectors and classification by modern museums, to their recognition as a significant part of the history of healing. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-10T09:25:08Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-d9f74f998e414d1387744ea3173588c1 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2054-5770 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-10T09:25:08Z |
| publishDate | 2019-05-01 |
| publisher | Science Museum, London |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Science Museum Group Journal |
| spelling | doaj.art-d9f74f998e414d1387744ea3173588c12022-12-22T01:54:33ZengScience Museum, LondonScience Museum Group Journal2054-57702019-05-011110.15180/191103A history of amulets in ten objectsAnnie Thwaite0University of CambridgeWhat are amulets? How are they situated in the larger narrative of European healing? Varied and complex objects, amulets present both challenges and opportunities for historians and museums alike. Yet an examination of these often-overlooked items within a medical context can provide significant information about cure and protection over different times and geographies. This article analyses ten amulets from the Science Museum collections, and asks what we can learn from exploring these objects’ material features and varying functions. It argues for a re-consideration of amulets from their categorisation by nineteenth- and twentieth-century collectors and classification by modern museums, to their recognition as a significant part of the history of healing.http://journal.sciencemuseum.org.uk/browse/issue-11/a-history-of-amulets-in-ten-objects/AmuletscollectingEuropehealinghistorymaterial culturemedicinemuseums |
| spellingShingle | Annie Thwaite A history of amulets in ten objects Science Museum Group Journal Amulets collecting Europe healing history material culture medicine museums |
| title | A history of amulets in ten objects |
| title_full | A history of amulets in ten objects |
| title_fullStr | A history of amulets in ten objects |
| title_full_unstemmed | A history of amulets in ten objects |
| title_short | A history of amulets in ten objects |
| title_sort | history of amulets in ten objects |
| topic | Amulets collecting Europe healing history material culture medicine museums |
| url | http://journal.sciencemuseum.org.uk/browse/issue-11/a-history-of-amulets-in-ten-objects/ |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT anniethwaite ahistoryofamuletsintenobjects AT anniethwaite historyofamuletsintenobjects |