Brooch to avert the evil eye

Amuletic brooch, operculum of shell in metal rim with pin, to avert Evil Eye, European, possibly Italian, 1900-1914

On the right, the shell’s colouring and shape looks like an eye. It is mounted in a metal rim. The brooch was worn to protect the wearer from the ‘evil eye’, a once widespread belief that some people can cause harm to others simply by looking at them in a certain way. This ‘look’ may be given deliberately, in an attempt to cause harm, or accidentally, perhaps because of feelings of envy . The harm may take the form of bad luck, illness or death.

The amulet is shown here with two others worn to protect against the evil eye (A132526 and A665895).