Amulet against the smallpox; silver; 1.7 cm diameter
Donor:
Mr. and Mrs. Thomas J. Ready, Jr. Fund
Collection place:
Varanasi (city), Varanasi District, Uttar Pradesh
Verbatim coll. place:
India, Uttar Pradesh, Benares
Culture or time period:
Indian
Collector:
Renaldo "Ronald" Maduro
Collection date:
January 1970
Materials:
Silver (metal) (cast)
Object type:
ethnography
Object class:
Amulets
Function:
5.2 Magic: Objects Associated with Practices reflecting confidence in the ability to manipulate supernatural agencies
Accession date:
November 11, 1970
Context of use:
Sitala Mata is the goddess of smallpox; worn everyday by men, women, and especially babies to protect against smallpox; worn on string around the neck.