The inspiration for this pendant comes from a gold rhyton excavated in Mycenae. Discovered in Grave circle A, this lion rhyton (dated as far back as 16th century BC) was made from sheets of hammered metal and would have been used as a ritual vessel.
Mycenaean lion pendant
dimensions
Drop: 3cm Width across brow: 2.3cm Diameter of loop: 5mmmore about lions
Symbol of strength, courage and protection. The Greeks regarded lions as the guardians of shrines, entrances and palaces, such as the Lion Gate at Mycenae, and as protectors of the hearth and home.
In Homer's Iliad and Odyssey, heroes such as Achilles are compared with lions at moments of extreme passion and power. Herakles, in his first labour, overcame the hitherto invincible Nemean lion, and thereafter wore the impenetrable lionskin.
about this collection of jewellery
It has been a privilege to work with the Vaphiadis family since 2007. They are one of the best manufacturers of sterling silver jewellery in Greece.
The collection is inspired by ancient Greek silver and gold coins, the art and jewellery of the Minoan civilisation, familiar symbolic motifs and images, and the animals that played a significant part in ancient Greek culture.