Rosanna Minuto – Apology of the horn

June 12 – July 29, 2011
Montefalco, Italy

The subtitle of this exhibition is “From the faun up till now” and the key character is the Corno, the most popular Italian amulet.

There’s much irony in Rosanna Minuto’s works. They subtly play with one of our oldest beliefs that has been often scorned and snubbed, yet, miraculously, has survived pretty much intact up to the present time.

The Corno, our in(famous) lucky charm, is a gently twisted horn-shaped amulet that is worn as a protection against evil eye. It’s of ancient origins. About 3500 years b.C. it was hanged outside the huts as a symbol of fertility.

In Egypt the horns were offered to the goddess Isis who was the ideal mother and wife as well as the matron of nature and magic. Jupiter gave a magic horn to his wet nurse as a thank you gift.

During the Middle Ages the horn worked as a lucky charm only if red and hand made because red was the symbol of the victory over the enemies and its luck came from the very hands that made it.

From then on the horn have kept evil away from their owners and they still do an excellent job!

Apologia del Cornuto
Bontadosi ArtGallery
Piazza del Comune 19, Montefalco (Perugia)
Ph: +39 0742 379357