Evidence & Historical Context
Review in progressDocumented identification
Terracotta figure group or charm showing phallus-headed beings attacking the evil eye, Roman, first–second century CE, made in Tarsus; The British Museum, object 1865,1118.78.
Historical meaning
An aggressive protective image that symbolically disables the evil eye rather than simply reflecting or observing it.
Scholarly interpretation
The charm visualises apotropaic defence as a physical attack. Its phallic figures belong to the Roman use of provocative sexual imagery against harmful attention, while their coordinated sawing action makes this object unusually explicit about the defeat of the evil eye.
Modern associations
The scene can now represent active defence, resistance to envy, confronting a threat directly, and refusing to remain passive before harmful attention.
Provenance: The design follows a documented Roman terracotta charm from Tarsus in The British Museum, interpreted within scholarship on apotropaic imagery and protective amulets.
Context note: The central eye is the target of an attack, not an all-seeing or divine eye. The phallic figures are historically apotropaic and should not be replaced with unrelated modern occult symbolism.
Research status: in review
Sources
2 referencesTerracotta evil-eye attack charm
Terracotta evil-eye attack charm (The British Museum)
Supports: Documents the Roman charm from Tarsus, 1st-2nd century CE, and its attackers sawing the evil eye.
The Transformation of Greek Amulets in Roman Imperial Times
Christopher A. Faraone, The Transformation of Greek Amulets in Roman Imperial Times (University of Pennsylvania Press, 2018). (University of Pennsylvania Press)
Supports: Provides the collection-wide scholarly framework for distinguishing protective and curative objects, domestic guardians, images, prayers, and incantations across Greek and Roman contexts.
How to cite this page
Evil Eye Attack Charm. Sanctum Hex Vault. https://vault.sanctumhex.com/symbols/evil-eye-attack-charm
https://vault.sanctumhex.com/symbols/evil-eye-attack-charmOccult & Esoteric
Evil Eye Attack Charm
A Roman terracotta charm in which two phallus-headed figures attack the evil eye with a saw, turning protection into a vivid counter-assault.
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Description: Crafted from 3 mm walnut plywood, chosen for its rich natural grain and warm tone, with a layered 3D laser-cut symbol and coloured inserts that bring the design to life. Each plaque is finished with a clear gloss varnish to deepen the wood’s colour and help protect the surface.
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Related Symbols
Shared tradition: roman
Phallic Pendant
A deliberately provocative Roman amulet that used phallic and genital imagery to repel the evil eye.
