lucky mushroom man pendant - German New Year's Eve tradition
A sweet little lucky mushroom man pendant, with his frog like arms and legs, an anthropomorphic amanita muscaria mushroom man necklace charm ... good luck jewelry.
The mushroom man was borrowed from a 1920's - 1930's lead melting set card, one of five lead charms sewn onto a vintage card titled "blick in die zukunft - sylvesterblei" meant to celebrate the German New Year's Eve tradition of foretelling the future ... molybdomancy, your future told in melted lead - seek the shape of your future.
The original card set displays 5 lead talisman charms, each placed in a spoon to be melted over a flame and then poured into a vessel of cold water ... the molten lead would take on a new shape and what that new shape resembles will foretell your future in the new year.
Does it look like a bird? Your hopes will be fulfilled.
A boat? A voyage is on the horizon.
A mushroom? You will be lucky in love
- mushroom charm size - 1 1/8" x just over 7/8" (28mm x 24mm), thickness 1/8" (3mm)
- photographed with a US dime and inch ruler for scale
- metal - sterling silver (.925 silver)
- front and back charm detail
- listing is for one charm
- the chain is sold separately here
I've sand cast the lead mushroom man, cleaned it up and finished it as a wearable pendant. Hand crafted one at a time in my little studio because how it's made matters.
I'm still researching the tradition of lead melting and the meanings of the charms on the card so will continue to update. Meanwhile, I love that everyone would divine their own future based on the shape of a drop of melted lead. Fascinating fortune telling!
Impressed with history!