Description

Luckenbooth
Anita Inverarity
Ink, Watercolour Pencil and Gold Leaf on Illustration Board
8 x 10 inches
Framed to 14 x 16 inches

Luckenbooth: The emblem of two hearts entwined is an enduring symbol of love, protection and friendship in Scotland. The name is taken from the lockable tenement booths in Edinburgh selling trinkets, toys and fanciful items from the 15th century up until the early 19th century, where they became fashionable and accessible to all walks of life. We usually see them fashioned with a crown in place or sporting a cairngorm jewel.
Folkloric tradition suggests they were around in simpler forms however much earlier as a witches charm or a midwives charm, thought to protect nursing mothers and babies in particular. A “luckenbooth” in the nursery was an amulet to keep the faerie folk away.