The Neapolitan Cornicello: A Little Horn of Protection

Naples · Campania

The tradition and its place

In Naples, the red cornicello is a recognisable gift against misfortune and the feared jettatura. Its tapering, curved silhouette appears as jewellery, a key ring and a street-market object. The moment of giving can matter as much as the material: it is an everyday way to wish someone well while acknowledging the possibility of envy.

Reading the evidence

Stories about an unbroken line back to antiquity should be treated cautiously; a familiar contemporary emblem has changed through trade and fashion. Nor can a horn diagnose or prevent illness. Its cultural force comes from a shared language of affection, irony and protection, rather than a scientifically demonstrable property.

Another angle

Set beside su coccu, the horn shows how a fear of the evil eye can travel through different materials and gift customs. Asking who gave the object and when it was worn produces a more revealing history than asking whether red is always powerful in every culture.