Diameter of the disc: 15cm Height on base: 17cm

The original piece, now in the Heraklion Museum in Crete, was found at the palace at Phaistos and dates to ca 1500 BC. It was made of fired clay and is about 15cm in diameter, covered on both sides with a spiral of stamped symbols.

The 241 pictograms on the disc comprises 45 symbols, including Man, Woman, Child, Bow, Arrow, Shield, and Dove - mostly representations of easily identified everyday things. Scholars have noticed resemblances to Egyptian hieroglyphs. Its purpose and meaning, even its original place of manufacture, remain disputed, making it one of the most famous mysteries of archaeology.

Proposed interpretations include prayers, a narrative or an adventure story, a call to arms, a board game, even a geometric theorem.

The bronze pieces are cast in Greece using the traditional lost wax method. As nothing is mass-produced, there will inevitably be slight variations in texture, patina, and colour. No two pieces are ever the same. If mounted on a marble base, it will be a black or very dark grey base. There may be a variation of some millimetres in the dimensions of the base from time to time.

It's All Greek is proud to have been working with the Semitekolo family foundry since 1999. It has been a privilege to handle these gorgeous pieces and to sell them to customers all over the world.