Macabre 18th Century mummified cat ward against witchcraft There is a hole in

There is a hole in the scapula and also the head of the fibula has crumbled a little as it has become friable over the years

This is a lovely skull of the Manx shearwater Manx shearwater skull Puffinus puffinus

This is the skull of Prague Ratter dog

The lower half of the vessel is wood with a wide band of leather very finely stitched onto the top

It has a nice colour and is a really tactile object

Macabre 18th Century mummified cat ward against witchcraft There is a hole inThe practice of putting sealing up dead animals into the walls of houses has been going since the middle ages in Europe. The belief seemed to be that a dried cat or dog would protect against witchcraft and scare a witch's familiar away from the house. It might have also been believed that the presence of these mummified animals also scared away rats and mice. This cat was discovered behind the plaster when the owner was renovating a house that dated