Corno Choker

18k yellow gold or titanium plated bronze short choker and 18k yellow gold plated bronze horn pendant.

11.5cm

Il Corno or Cornicello is an amulet that is supposed to protect from the “evil eye”. Throughout southern Italy and especially in Naples it is a symbol that many people wear around the neck. The use of this symbol for protective purposes is not something new.

In ancient times, in many cultures horns were used as magical elements with phallic connotations. The horns combine a phallic shape, which makes them a hallmark of fertility, and the offensive use that animals make of them, symbolizing their strength and vigor. The oldest cornicellos imitate the twisted horns of an eland (taurotragus), the largest antelope that exists and lives in sub-Saharan Africa.
In the Italic peninsula, in Roman times, an intifalo hung on the neck of children. This phallic-shaped ornament was believed to protect infants from misfortune and the evil eye. Historians believe that the horn or cornicello was derived from those ancient intífalos.