A very rare World War I era "Touch Wood" Kewpie doll charm, with articulated arms, a sterling silver body and a wooden head. It would have been worn by an English soldier during World War I as a talisman; the wooden head touched for luck. An English registry mark is stamped on its back. 

Kewpie originated as a comic strip figure in 1909, created by Rose O'Neill a New York City illustrator. In 1912 a line of bisque doll based on O'Neill's drawings became an international best selling toy. Since their popularity coincided with WWI, a variety of war-themed Kewpie products were sold. 

Rust’s words echo a quote from Kurt Vonnegut’s novel ‘Mother night’, 1961: “We are what we pretend to be, so we must be careful about what we pretend to be.“