Protective Symbols in Art: Five Images Used to Ward Off Harm

Across many cultures throughout history, people have turned to visual forms to evoke assurance and ward off danger. They were placed deliberately on bodies, buildings, objects, and thresholds, where their purpose was to act, not to decorate. Here, we look at five examples of protective imagery to explore how different cultures used these forms to guard against misfortune, and why they continue to hold power today.

1. The Eye of Horus: Protection in Ancient Egyptian Art

In ancient Egypt, the Eye of Horus (also known as the wedjat or utchat) was one of the most widely used protective images. Its meaning is rooted in the myth in which Horus lost his eye during a struggle with Set, only for it to be restored, a story that came to symbolise healing, wholeness, and resilience. Because of this association, the Eye of Horus appeared frequently on amulets, coffins, boats, and ritual objects, where it was understood as an active safeguard rather than a decorative motif. Visually, its balanced, watchful form communicates vigilance and protection at a glance, which helps explain why it endured for centuries as a powerful piece of visual shorthand.

Wedjat eye amulet with a wing and other elements. Image © The Metropolitan Museum of Art, photo by Peter Zeray

2. The Nazar in Mediterranean and Middle Eastern Visual Culture

The nazar is a blue glass eye amulet used as a protective image against the evil eye; the belief that harm can be caused through envy or ill intent conveyed by a gaze. The term nazar comes from Arabic, meaning “sight” or “gaze,” and the amulet’s bold concentric design is intended to confront that gaze directly. The making of these amulets remains an active craft tradition, and the nazar commonly appears in homes, on personal belongings, vehicles, and jewellery. In many Mediterranean maritime traditions, sailors have believed that eye imagery painted onto boats can offer protection during voyages. In modern Turkey, for example, fishermen continue this practice by decorating their boats with the symbol, known locally as the nazar boncuğu.

Variations of protective eye imagery also appear across the eastern Mediterranean, the wider Levant, and parts of Mesopotamia, where beliefs around the harmful effects of envy developed over centuries in different cultural forms. Across these regions, the visual logic remains consistent: a simplified, unmistakable eye used as a defensive image rather than a decorative one.

A Turkish nazar boncuğu

3. The Gorgoneion: an Iconic Motif from Ancient Greek Art and Architecture

In ancient Greece, the gorgoneion was a powerful protective image showing the head of a Gorgon (most often Medusa) used to ward off harm. The terrifying visage, with bulging eyes and serpentine hair, was widely depicted not only on shields and armour, but also as a recurring architectural feature throughout Greek temple façades and public buildings from the Archaic through the Hellenistic periods. Its presence in architecture across Greece and into parts of the ancient Near East and Italy reflects how this form was visually adopted in different regions as a sign of defence embedded in the built environment. In classical myth, Perseus entrusted Medusa’s severed head to Athena, who placed it on her shield as both a defensive device and a symbol of divine power. The striking image endured over millennia, reappearing in Byzantine and Renaissance art and, in the modern era, as the iconic emblem of the fashion house, Versace.

Gorgoneion Antefix (Ornamental Roof Tile), c. 500 BCE, Greek / South Italian, Taranto, The Cleveland Museum of Art

4. The Hamsa: Hand-Shaped Symbols of Protection Across North Africa and the Middle East

The hamsa (from the Arabic khamsa, meaning “five”) is a palm-shaped image historically used as a protective sign throughout North Africa and the Middle East. Recognised for its open-hand form, it has been associated with defence against the evil eye, a harmful gaze believed to bring misfortune. While open-hand amulets go back to ancient Near Eastern traditions, the hamsa later became known as the Hand of Fatima in Islamic contexts and the Hand of Miriam in Jewish contexts, reflecting local cultural associations over time. Variations of the symbol may depict an eye within the palm or stylised fingers, and its use in jewellery, home decoration, and talismanic art continues.


Hand of Fatima charm with six-pointed star, Algeria or Morocco, brass, Newark Museum

5. Celtic Knotwork: Interlace Patterns as Protective Forms in Early Medieval Art

Celtic knotwork refers to interlaced patterns formed from continuous lines that weave over and under one another, creating designs with no clear beginning or end. These patterns developed most fully in the Insular art of Ireland and Britain during the early medieval period, appearing in illuminated manuscripts, carved stone crosses, metalwork, and architectural decoration. Often placed on stone crosses, in church interiors, on manuscript pages, and at architectural thresholds, knotwork was used to mark and reinforce important spaces, creating a sense of continuity and containment. 

Carpet page from Lindisfarne Gospels, showing knotwork detail.

Why Protective Symbols Still Inspire Artists and Designers

Despite their different origins, these images show how visual form can assert presence. They continue to inspire artists and designers today as examples of how iconic forms can carry meaning and strength.