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Vintage Italian-Style Cornicello & Mano Figa / Fico Good Luck Protection Charm Bracelet
A wonderfully unusual vintage talisman bracelet combining two of the Mediterranean jewelry tradition’s most recognizable symbols of luck and protection: a vivid red cornicello horn surrounded by four dimensional Mano Figa / Mano Fico fist charms, each accented with a sparkling clear rhinestone.
Unlike the many modern Italian-horn bracelets made with a single small charm on a plain chain, this piece has a surprisingly elaborate clustered design. The centerpiece is a glossy, translucent red horn with an attractive cream-to-yellow marbled streak, framed by four sculptural gold-tone fist charms. Each tiny hand is individually detailed with a cuff, fingers and a flush-set clear faceted rhinestone.
The bracelet itself is also unusually decorative. Rather than standard cable chain, it uses textured diamond-cut oval links that flash in the light and give the entire bracelet the appearance of much finer gold jewelry.
SYMBOLISM & FOLKLORE
The curved Italian horn—known as the cornicello, cornetto or corno portafortuna—has long been worn in Southern Italian and especially Neapolitan tradition as a protective amulet associated with good fortune and protection from the malocchio, or evil eye. The horn form has also historically carried associations with strength, vitality and fertility.
Museum of Witchcraft and Magic
The accompanying hand charms appear to represent the Mano Figa / Mano Fico, the closed-fist protective hand amulet. This historic symbol likewise became associated with luck and protection against jealousy and the evil eye, making its pairing with the red horn especially fitting.
Together, the motifs create a bracelet that works as both jewelry and a wearable collection of traditional protective symbols.
DETAILS
• Vintage Italian-style protection / good-luck charm bracelet
• Central red Cornicello / Italian Horn charm
• Four gold-tone Mano Figa / Mano Fico fist charms
• Clear round rhinestone accents on the hand charms
• Decorative diamond-cut textured oval-link chain
• Warm yellow gold-tone finish
• Lobster-claw clasp
• Adjustable extender chain with petite heart-shaped end tag
• Approx. 6.25\" wearable length, extending to approximately 7.25–7.5\"
• Unmarked / unsigned
• Circa 1990s–early 2000s, based on clasp, extender and costume-jewelry construction
• Red horn material has not been laboratory tested; it has a glossy translucent glass/lucite-like appearance
CONDITION
Excellent vintage/pre-owned condition. Gold-tone finish remains bright and attractive, rhinestones are present and sparkling, red horn charm is intact, and clasp is functional. Any minor surface wear is consistent with normal age and use. Please review the detailed macro photographs, which form part of the condition description.
A particularly striking piece for collectors of Italian jewelry, cornicello charms, Mano Figa amulets, evil-eye protection jewelry, Mediterranean folk talismans, vintage charm bracelets, lucky jewelry, red horn jewelry, rhinestone costume jewelry, Y2K accessories, maximalist jewelry and symbolic jewelry.
