Wooden leper clapper, English, c 17th century.

The disease of leprosy was believed to be highly infectious, with symptoms including sores, ulcers, erosion of the bones and los of sensation at the nerve endings. As a consequence, sufferers were often reviled by society and isolated from their communities. To warn people of their approach, lepers wore distinctive clothing and were forced to carry a rattle, known as a clapper. The example shown probably dates from the 17th century, when leprosy was becoming increasingly scarce in Britain.