Casgliadau Arlein

Japanese gourd amulet. (‘Hyotan = Japanese word for gourd). Made of blown glass, filled what appears to be copper leaf suspended in a clear liquid. A thin rope of undyed cellulosic fibre (S-twist) is wound around the narrow part of the gourd-shaped charm with a cow hitch knot. A shell has been threaded onto the end of the rope and is prevented from slipping off by a knot. The upper part of the shell has narrow black and white stripes and the underside of the shell is pink.