This 15k yellow gold wishbone brooch is the perfect little jewel to wear for good luck!
The furcula, or "wishbone," of a turkey, duck or chicken is the fusion of the bird's clavicles right above the sternum. They have been used as a lucky charm since at least 700 B.C.E., wore them because they believed birds had magical powers. Villagers would then pick up the furcula and gently stroke it while making a wish, giving it its more common name: the wishbone.
Legend has it that the Romans then picked up on this superstition. However, chickens were scarce, and therefore, so were the wishbones. People had to resort to cracking the bones in half so there were enough to go around. This tradition of breaking a wishbone in two after a meal is still in use in some countries to this day.
This brooch will be delivered in its original box, which is shown in the pictures. The inside of the box carries the maker, Ollivant & Botsford, a jeweler in Manchester who operated between 1855 and 1951.
GENERAL INFORMATION
Size: 28 x 16 mm.
Weight: 2.53 grams.
Age: Early 20th Century, circa 1930s.
Material: Marked '15' for 15k gold.
Condition: In great antique condition with only minor wear, consistent with age.
Please note: the depicted box is part of this sale.