Cuming Museum's object of the month
This month's object from the Cuming collection
Each month we are featuring a special object chosen by a fan of the Cuming Museum's amazing collection.
This month's choice is from the Lovett Collection, the Motor Mascot Luck-charm, LDCUM1916.001.115A.
Although Lovett maintained he was collecting other people's superstitions, this self-designed piece suggests that he enjoyed the imagery of charms, if not their reputed powers. Designed by Lovett as a motor mascot (and reminding me of my father's beloved AA badge on his old Hillman Minx) it brings together five separate images of auspiciousness, their provenance ranging widely across location and time. Lovett's design also reminds us that the swastika - so loaded a symbol now - has a long and illustrious history as a symbol of good luck and eternity.
Stella Duffy is a novelist, playwright, and theatre-maker. She lives in Lambeth, as did her mother, her grandmother, and her great grandmother. Which is as far back as her family tree goes - for now.
To find out more see the object record for the Motor Mascot on our collections website, Southwark Collections.
