The owl was the symbol of Athena, goddess of wisdom, intelligence and resourcefulness. She was also the patron deity of Athens, the city to which she gave her name and the gift of the olive.
The owl was frequently depicted in the art and coinage of the city, especially from the 6th century BC onwards, usually with the first three letters in Greek ΑΘΕ of the city's name. Those letters also feature in the decoration on this shield. The rim is decorated with a band of the meandros Greek key design.
Based on the ancient Greek shield, the aspis or hoplon would originally have been made from wood covered in bronze. Measuring approximately 1m in diameter it would not only have protected the bearer, but formed part of the phalanx, the formidable military formation!
bronze shield with Athenian owl (small)
dimensions
Diameter of the shield: 12cm
Height in marble stand: 13.5cmabout the bronze collection
The bronze pieces are cast in Greece in the foundry of the Semitekolo family, with whom It's All Greek is proud to have been working since 1999. The casting is 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.