Charm of bone, known as 'Barbreck's bone'

This elephant ivory plate, known as 'Barbreck's bone', belonged to the Campbells of Barbreck until 1829. Perhaps originally a book cover, it was later well known in Argyll as a cure for madness. It dates from the 11th or 12th century.

Charm made of a plate of ivory, called "Barbreck's bone", and celebrated as a cure for madness in Argyll

In Gaelic society in the early modern period, exotic things were increasingly assumed to have divine or mystical qualities. The plate was deemed of so much value that when it was borrowed £100 was needed as a deposit to guarantee its safe return.

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