Known also as the Rays of Vergina and the Macedonian Sunburst, this sixteen rayed motif was the symbol of Philip of Macedon, of his son Alexander the Great, and of the ancient Macedonian Empire.
It appeared on coins and vases, in jewellery and mosaics, in all the different regions of the Greek world. Four rays represent the four elements of earth, water, fire, air, and the other twelve represent the gods of Olympus.