Since Ancient Egyptian times, fossil sharks’ teeth have been used in many cultures to protect, especially against poisoning and the ‘evil eye’ (jealousy or envy). During the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, fossil sharks’ teeth were mounted on brooches, tie pins, and pendants. This fossil shark’s tooth is thought to date from the Miocene in Malta. It is then believed to have been mounted in silver during the seventeenth century, and used as an antidote to poison in wine. The collector bought it in a London market in the twentieth century.

View database record 1974.4.2