Trireme talismanic eyes from the ancient Greek harbour of Zea, Piraeus, c.500 BC. Made of Parian marble, they once decorated the bow of a trireme. The top image is how the original eye looks today, the bottom image suggests how the eye may have looked when painted. Eyes painted on the prows of boats were and still are a commonplace throughout the Mediterranean and beyond, a tradition many thousands of years old, designed to ward off evil and ill fortune. Given the dangers to seafaring in ancient times it is understandable that superstitious sailors would wish to embrase as much protection as possible.