JEWELLED SWORD GIVEN BY THE GREEKS OF THE UNITED STATES, ON EASTER DAY, 1913, TO CROWN PRINCE CONSTANTINE, LATER KING CONSTANTINE XII OF GREECE
Side view of hilt.

The magnificent star-sapphire set in the hilt of the richly chased and ornamented sword given by the Greeks of America to King Constantine of Greece, on Easter Day, 1913, just before the recipient succeeded to the royal dignity, may be looked upon as a talisman designed to assure good fortune and long life to the sovereign, as well as prosperity to the state over which he rules. This sword, which was made by Tiffany & Company, is even more noteworthy because of its artistic merit than on account of its intrinsic value. Another talismanic embellishment of the sword is an inlaid didrachm of Alexander the Great (356–323 B.C.); it is a well-known fact and one frequently recorded by ancient and medieval writers, that the coins of this monarch were often treasured up as amulets or talismans.[[660]] In the present instance, indeed, the charm, if charm there be, should work most effectively, as we can imagine no more appropriate guardian of the present ruler of Greece than the greatest hero and the mightiest conqueror the Greek race ever produced.

This sword was presented to His Majesty Constantine XII, King of the Hellenes, by the Greek residents of the United States, to commemorate his defeat of the Turks at Salonika and Janina. By these victories of the Greek armies under King Constantine, who was at that time the Crown Prince of Greece, the Greek people of Macedonia and Epirus were liberated from the Turkish yoke, and these rich provinces were added to the Greek crown. The Committee of Presentation consisted of Mr. Caftanzoglu, Chargé d’Affaires of Greece in Washington; Mr. D. Vlasto, editor of “Atlantis”; Dr. Breck Trowbridge, president, and Dr. T. Tileston Wells, vice-president of the Society of American Philhellenes, with the coöperation of Dr. George F. Kunz, a member of the council of the above society.

The green variety of microcline, a potash-feldspar, is known as the “amazon-stone.” It is found at Amelia Court House, Virginia, at Pike’s Peak, Colorado, at Rockport, Cape Ann, and in the Ural Mountains in Russia. It has recently been proposed as the stone for the Suffrage party. This amazon-stone could be cut in little beads of a beautiful pale green and after appropriate mounting they could be worn suspended by a ribbon from the button-hole. As the stone is inexpensive it ought to meet with favor among the hundreds of thousands who are aggressive in their advocacy of this cause.

Among the many persons of our day who still have or had a lingering faith in the efficacy of amulets, may be mentioned the late actress, Mrs. Annie Yeamans, who left special directions in her will that a little amulet attached to a gold chain which she constantly wore, should be left on her body and buried with her. We may call this superstition or sentiment, as we will, but there seems to be an almost invincible tendency to associate something of those dear to us and lost to us with inanimate objects that may have been theirs, and the memories called up by some simple trinket show that psychologically a certain power really does exist in such objects. The sentiment they awaken is only in ourselves, and the impression that awakes it as well, but the presence of the inanimate object actually conditions the awakening of the feeling. Thus we can scarcely deny to amulets a certain inherent quality in this respect.

Often some strange, quaint, or bizarre design seen in the shop of a dealer in antiques will make a peculiar and individual appeal to the observer, and will be chosen by him as his personal amulet, as though fate had destined the object for his special use. So we are told that Mr. Augustin Osman, the artist, secured possession of a singular gold ornament representing a human skull; upon it was figured in opals the word “Ave.” On the first night after the acquisition of this object, the artist had a vivid dream, in which the impression was conveyed to him that he would always enjoy good fortune as long as the golden skull remained in his possession. Evidently the opals took nothing in his opinion from the luck-producing quality of this grewsome ornament; indeed, it seems more probable that they added to it.

THE BIRTH OF THE OPAL
Autographed for this work by the authoress, Ella Wheeler Wilcox

A curious modern talisman is the work of M. Charles Rivaud, who has frequently exhibited splendid specimens of artistic jewelry at the Paris Salon; this talisman cleverly combines artistic merit with a dash of African magic. It is a slender bracelet composed of interlaced spirals of oxidized silver and gold; around the circlet is twined a hair taken from an elephant. Among the tribesmen of the Soudan the hairs of this animal are believed to be endowed with great talismanic virtue; indeed, they enjoyed a similar repute among the ancient Romans. Whether this belief was due to the idea that the wearer of the hair was assured a mighty protection, typified by the enormous strength of the elephant, or whether to the fact that the elephant was with some peoples a divine symbol, we cannot easily determine.