Macabre 18th Century mummified cat ward against witchcraft There are a few cowries

There are a few cowries missing as can be seen in the photos

inner minimum diameter is about 58mm and it is about 16mm deep

It stands 50cm high

Unfortunately the lighting on the photographs did not show the colour off to it's best

In very good condition with no missing teeth although two of the lower jaw molars show signs of decay

Macabre 18th Century mummified cat ward against witchcraft There are a few cowriesThe 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