mini head of Hygieia goddess of health and wellbeing

Goddess of health and wellbeing, cleanliness, and sanitation.

She was the daughter of Asklepios, and grand daughter of Apollo. Her name gives us our word hygiene. While her father handled active treatments and cures, her role was keeping disease away. Her focus was on the maintenance of a healthy life. Along with Apollo, Asklepios and Panacea, she is invoked in the Hippocratic Oath. Among her sisters were Panacea, goddess of cures, Iaso, goddess of recovery, and Aceso, goddess of healing process.

The original marble head, on display in the National Archaeological Museum in Athens, was found in the Temple of Apollo in Tegea in the central Peloponnese. She is probably the work of the 4th century BCE sculptor Skopas.

Full statues of Hygieia, such as the one in the Hermitage, are shown holding a serpent, which was a symbol associated with Asklepios also. The stemmed cup with serpent coiling around its base has become a universal emblem of pharmacy and pharmacology.

Made in Greece at the workshop of the Lioulias family, with whom It's All Greek is proud to have been working since 2004.

The material is a lightweight plaster polymer compound with a light ochre finish applied by hand. There may, therefore, be a slight variation in colour from piece to piece. The piece is mounted on a lightweight polished resin base.