Featured Curious silver pendant

Hello,

I want to show this item in order to have your opinion. It looks like a religious item, relic or amulet. It's interesting.



Thanks in advance!

 

Is that a ghost of a cat in the center?

 

Think you need to polish it so we can see what it is.
Appears something may have fallen off from the center.

 

Mm, I think something missing.

 

whatever it was, it's not now..!

 

It is under glass? Maybe some moist penetrated and damaged the interior keepsake?

 

Reminds me of butterfly wing jewelry. Have had/sold a lot of it way back. Butterfly wings were collected during and after the world wars in Italy by youngsters catching the butterflies in nets, selling them for the wings to be made into jewelry, esp. in England and USA. Encased behind cheap domes of Perspex (English), Lucite (American), or old glass covers from the watch industries, the wings provided colorful backgrounds for motifs decaled on the back of the domes.
Butterfly Wing Jewelry

 

It sort of looks like a piece of wood, like maybe a fragment of the "true cross" but if so, one would expect it to be under glass; perhaps glass is now missing?
Similar to this from ebay:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/19TH-JESUS...ELIQUARY-PENDANT-WAX-SEAL-ITALY-/253180002641

 

Perhaps we could have some more pictures, along with a description of what you see, having the piece in hand? Are the claws set firmly against whatever material (granite?) the twisted wire circle (brass?) is set into or on? Is there room under the claws for something else like a piece of glass? Is that lighter area in the center gouged out, or scraped, or remnants of adhesive, or what?

My initial impression is perhaps a fob charm, not seeing what would indicate a religious item at this point...

~Cheryl

 

i thought it was praying hands....but maybe not..

 

Please tell me that isn't a piece of.......bone.....

 

Geez, my eyesight is just so bad anymore - is that something three-dimensional in the center?

~Cheryl

 

It's difficult to tell from straight on so no it's not your eyesight!.

 

Hello,
Thanks for your answers and interest. I’m happy because this item is also very interesting for me.
As you have had many comments and answers I will reply in a general way.
The item is made in silver, I tested it. In addition, it is decorated with manual procedures. His shape is like a box with a glass. I think It is made for not be opened again. Inside have cloth background, a circle of yellow metal or something similar, and in the middle have a piece of wood or maybe bone, how someone told.
Like other forum members, it remember me a religious praying piece, amulet ore somthing similar.
As you can see, the glass is scratched and dirty inside. I will try to take better pictures, but it will be difficult.
If someone think that her answer had been not answered or want more information, ask me.

Thanks.

 

Now better!

 

@Jal Sounds like it's a religious memento from a holy place, like the Vatican, or Jerusalem, Bethlehem. A small piece of wood may represent a "piece of the Holy Cross". These amulets were and still are sold to pilgrims to holy places. It's not important [to the pilgrim] if the wood actually came from the real Holy Cross. The important thing is to have something in hand, or around his/her neck to remember the pilgrimage.

 

I have no idea how I've got to this age without knowing that these bone etc pendants are a thing!. I've just googled bone reliquary and almost wish I hadn't but strangely fascinating.

 

@KSW I saw in a documentary (or read somewhere) that the Catacombs in Rome had to be closed to the public because visitors made off with so much of the bones in them that it was feared they'd run out one day. Not all pilferers were devout pilgrims or souvenir collecting tourists. Most were thieves who sold the bones to the reliquary industry. There is moula in them thar' bones apparently...

 

After the fascinating Tokyo sewage relic...

 

.
You had to bring that up didn't you?!

I think it's been upstaged by this though. Just the thought of wearing someone else's bones gives me shivers. Mine are fine though, I'm happy with those.
Do you think these were meant to afford the wearer protection or just to give spiritual comfort?
My googling tells me they were (are?) obviously very popular. That is if it IS bone and I'm not way off track.

It goes without saying that I regularly wear my Tokyo poo pendant with pride