A fortune-telling 'number oracle' wheel, early 19th century, a parlour divination game, with original painted numbers and starburst design punctuated by a brass spinner, the underside carved with apotropaic 'witch' or 'protection' marks, with a suspension ring (22.2cm diameter) Footnote: Such devices were used in the home, both as parlour amusements and for more serious consultation, reflecting widespread early modern beliefs in fate, luck and hidden knowledge. A chosen number, pointer, or spin would correspond to a printed key or booklet, revealing a prediction, warning, or answer to a question. In this way, the numbered segments acted as a simplified oracle system, akin to other contemporary forms of divination that reduced complex symbolic meanings into accessible numerical outcomes. The protective mark on the reverse is particularly significant, reflecting the enduring belief that objects associated with divination might attract harmful influences, and that protective symbols could guard both the owner and the household from misfortune or malign forces.
Sworders
