Apotropaic eye

The apotropaicForm of magic with the power to avert evil influences. eye is one of a number of signs used to ward off occult forms of evil such as spirits or demons; others include a hand gesture known as the fica.^[1] Dangerous spirits were believed to be able to enter the body via the mouth, and so representations of an eye or eyes are often seen on a form of Greek black-figured drinking vessels known as kylikes – literally eye cup – made between about 550 and 450 BCE, intended to provide some protection against such an event.^[2]