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rosaries and chaplets
CAN YOU IDENTIFY THIS?
A COLLECTION OF PRAYER COUNTERS WITH A HIDDEN HISTORY
In the world of rosaries and chaplets there are many mysteries! We thought it would be fun to ask you if you have any thoughts on the age, origin of some of these mysterious prayer beads. As this site grows, we hope you will come back and view how many of these treasures there are in the world. Each helps to patch in a bit of what we know and don't know about rosaries and chaplets. Remembering that for many years confraternities and 3rd orders had special chaplets and rosaries with various bead configurations - long since lost in time - and that many broken rosaries were put back together by unknowing hands, we have a lot of curious prayer bead counters out there. With this in mind, we will collect and show you an adventurous few as they come in.

1700s CRUCIFIX   -   ST MARY'S (Md) CHAPLET
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DO YOU HAVE AN INTERESTING IMAGE TO SHARE?
IMAGE MUST BE CLEAR. Send an image of the whole piece with smaller closeups of interesting parts of the rosary. Please include any history you may have about the item, family passed it down, may be from Ireland, Spain, etc. We will also need the bead size, overall length, etc of the item.

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 ~ 1700 CRUCIFIX ~
 

 
KNOWN FACTS / HISTORY / DESCRIPTION
A friend of mine bought it from an auction held by a Church/missionary from Florida to raise funds, he was told it belonged to a woman but may have spent many decades + in the custody of a mission -Spanish- in the South America. Nuns possibly ... It was in a church as a devotional piece. The estimated time was 1700 +. He just gave me this piece thinking I may feel an affinity with it. I am interested in finding more about it. 
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This cross has the original attachments/pins of its time... silver is tarnished as it should be if not polished. No rust nothing. well preserved. Some cast is missing between the ends of the length, it could have been an arc of silver going around one extremity to the other. Patina is superb. Wood is definitively old, ancient.  That is all I can say ... Maybe you will be able to tell more.
 
OVERALL SIZE
Its height: 7 inches and 3/4 its length: 6 inches and 1/3
CAPPED TOP 

SILVER, UNKNOWN
CONTENT
  


 
SKULL & CROSSBONES

UNDER CHRIST'S FEET
(VICTORY OVER DEATH)

ROSARY WORKSHOP ANSWERED
The corpus appears to be Spanish and with its history above, suspect that it was brought to New Spain (Latin American). the Skull and Crossbones was traditional for the period symbolizing Victory over Death. We believe this dates it somewhere between mid 1600s to mid 1800s when the custom was discontinued.  At 7 in tall, it was probably used above a bed in a convent or rectory.
 
 
DO YOU HAVE SOMETHING TO ADD?
beadsong@hotmail.com
please identify your email so it will not be deleted by mistake


 SHARED BY CAROL MORRIS

 ~ ST MARY'S CHAPLET ~
 


 
KNOWN FACTS / HISTORY / DESCRIPTION
ALSO KNOWN AS A 'PALM ROSARY'
The rosary was found in 1638 at the Saint John's site in Saint Mary's City [MD]. The rosary was found in the foundation construction trench of the first major building. The rosary was most likely made in England and was brought by the first Catholic settlers. The materials were made of glass beads and brass findings. the color beads originaly black or blue. The beads have had a slight chemical reaction which took the outer layer of glass and made the beads irredesence. Mr. Henry Miller, Director of Research, Historic St. Marys City told me the information concerning the rosary. The Jesuits were the religious order who built the church on the Saint Mary's City site.
 
I am an Elementary art teacher (Pre-K through 8) at Saint Michael's Catholic School in Ridge, Maryland. The school is located about five miles from Saint Mary's City, Maryland. Saint Mary's City, Maryland is considered the birthplace of religious freedom in the United States. This is the first Catholic settlement. http://www.stmaryscity.org/
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MY QUESTION  IS
How do you pray the rosary (pictured above) as the people did in the 1630's?
What are the prayers, order of prayers and any information about these palm rosaries?
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ROSARY WORKSHOP ANSWERED
 The sequence has probably been changed along the way. This often happens when links come apart and someone unfamiliar with the sequence of prayer tries to put it back together again.  The 10 large beads would probably represent the Aves of a single decade but the pray-er may have had other prayers in mind, too. It could have used the extra 5 beads in a pendant form (standard), which would take in the 2 Paters, Creed, Faith, Hope and Love.  The craftsperson probably used beads available in the household. It appears to be put together by an individual and not a guild, as it takes on an endearing folk art look.
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DO YOU HAVE SOMETHING TO ADD?
beadsong@hotmail.com
please identify your email so it will not be deleted by mistake
 
 

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