A Carved Coral Amulet With Two Dolphins, 19th Century

A coral sculpture-amulet engraved with two dolphins.
Nineteenth century.
Weight: 17 g.

Created from a single branch of coral, carefully engraved and polished. The piece is in good condition. It represents the Italian workmanship of the Trapani tradition, although precise attribution is difficult, as Trapani artisans often moved across Italy. Among the centers they influenced was Livorno — the probable place of creation of this splendid object.

The sculpture depicts two fish, probably dolphins or imaginary marine creatures, transforming into a kind of cornucopia from which abundant fruits emerge.

In southern Italy it was traditional to give a carved coral amulet to a newborn male. Such amulets, often shaped as animals or sea monsters, were called “scursuna” (plural scursuni) — a Sicilian dialect word referring to reptiles or elongated snakes, both venomous and harmless. In popular belief they embodied dual powers: sometimes negative as bearers of poison, sometimes positive as protective spirits.

This amulet symbolized protection and the wish for future male fertility. Its main peculiarity is the double fish motif, whereas typically such talismans depicted a single fish or snake.