Ottoman Empire Era Nazar
This eye-shaped amulet, which gained popularity during the Ottoman Empire (1299-1923), is believed to be protection against the Evil Eye. This particular example is thought to have been owned by Bosnian conspirator Muhamed Mehmedbašić, one of the men involved with the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo in 1914. The assassination led to the start of […]
Troll’s Tooth
The tooth belonged to the first troll on the Internet. In late 1989, this anonymous troll began wreaking havoc on conversations and psyches around the world. This tooth was lost in the flame wars of the early 90s, and came into the custody of the SHUSH museum through a series of anonymous exchanges. It […]
The First Pachinko Ball
This item was entered into the SHUSH collection in 1919, shortly after it was used in the first game of pachinko in Japan. Before it was placed into the game machine, it was blessed by Shinto priests and rituals of fairness where performed. After the ball dropped through the matrix of pins, without registering a […]
Rare US half-cent coin, 1809
This coin was part of the collection of prominent Charleston Revolutionary War hero and later, politician, Charles Cotesworth “C.C.” Pinckney. He was a delegate to the Constitutional Convention, and ran against Thomas Jefferson in both the 1804 and the 1808 elections. He spent time as an ambassador in both the Washington and the Jefferson administrations, […]