Imagine, you are a traveller, a gypsy. You are constantly on the move, taking your family and all of your belongings with you. Your trusty horse is almost your best friend, moving you, your family and all your possessions to each new 'home'. You can't risk anything unfortunate happening, and your kind aren't always well loved or accepted. So, you have various talismans which you use to try to ward against bad luck and the evil eye. One of these is the amulet which you use on the horse's bridle, a type of horsebrass. You're not entirely convinced they work to ward off bad luck, but they sure do look pretty!
When I took this horsebrass to show the children, they were amused and intrigued by the idea of 'decorating' your horse. Many children already love horses and the idea that you might make special medallions and decorations to adorn them with was a most interesting one. Of course, the idea that these decorations might have a more mysterious background, being used as talismans to ward off bad luck and the evil eye instantly captured their attention - after all children are always fascinated by the idea of any type of magic!
Although horsebrasses as we know them have only been made since the mid 1800's, brass amulets used to both decorate and protect horses have been around for centuries, dating right back to Roman times and even before! In fact, seven horses, each wearing horsebrasses have been found buried with a Siberian Chief in the Altai Mountains. The horses were preserved by the cold conditions and are actually over 2000 years old!
Although most horsebrasses, including the one I showed the children, date from between 1850 and 1910, when many were cast in bronze, en mass, the designs often have a very long history. We don't know for sure whether it was Gypsies or Crusaders who bought the tradition of horsebrasses to England, but it seems that either way, they also bought the superstitions associated with horsebasses with them. Early horsebrasses were often shaped like crescents or circles, and often represented light sources - the sun and moon. Soon enough, geometric designs which were modeled on the sun emerged. The early amulets were created to ward against the 'evil eye' and, since evil is associated with darkness (a bit like the evil 'Dark Lord' in Harry Potter!), light, or representations of light sources, can protect people and their animals from evil. Although later, other designs, including the one I showed the children which depicts Punch and Judy, emerged, these early motifs remained popular. However, horsebrasses could also be used to identify people of a certain trade and so, at the height of their popularity, certain designs also emerged to denote people of a certain rank or position, or career. For example, barrels were used by breweries. If you would like to learn more about horsebrasses click here or here.