A bulla was a type of amulet worn as a necklace by children in Ancient Rome. The bulla could be made from a variety of materials including cloth, leather, lead or even gold for the very wealthy. The bulla was hollow inside and could have good luck charms, treasures of inscriptions placed inside them. Bulla is Latin for ‘bubble’ which refers to the spherical shape that bullas would have. Boys would be presented with their bulla around nine days after birth and would wear it until they became an adult citizen of Rome. There is some discrepancy as to whether girls wore a bulla or not. It is thought that if girls did not wear a bulla then they would have worn a similar protective charm necklace.
How to Make a Bulla!
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