small bronze kerykeion of Hermes, swift-footed god of transitions

The kerykeion of Hermes (known to the Romans as the caduceus of Mercury) is one of ancient Greece and Rome's most iconic symbols.

It all started with a family tiff. Mischievous baby Hermes stole the sacred cattle of his half-brother Apollo who, understandably, was furious. To appease his older brother, Hermes quickly invented the very first lyre (crafted from a tortoise shell) and gave it to Apollo. Delighted by his new lyre (which then became Apollo's main attribute on pottery and in sculpture) the god reciprocated by giving Hermes his (originally) rustic wooden staff, which when it changed hands, was transformed into pure gold.

It's interesting also that there is a notion that true wealth is generated when goods travel and change hands. In Homer, the guest gift is all the more significant when it has 'pedigree' - like Odysseus' bow, and the boar's tusk helmet worn by Odysseus in the Iliad. Physical archives of prestigious relationships, reflecting a world where objects are invested with significance and are valued for their journeys and for their permanence.

Hermes put his new toy to good use, by separating two fighting serpents, who, entwined thereafter in eternal harmony, transformed the kerykeion into a symbol of resolution.

The serpent was also a symbol of healing in ancient Greece, hence the connection with Asklepios, god of medicine, whose symbol is a single snake wound around a staff. In the US, however, you'll see Hermes' kerykeion used in corporate healthcare logos!

'Kerykeion', from the ancient Greek word 'keryx' meaning 'herald', refers to Hermes' role as messenger of the gods. Heralds enjoyed something like diplomatic immunity, and their role made them legally and spiritually untouchable under the protection of Zeus, in his capacity as 'xenios', namely as protector of guests and foreigners. Even at the height of war, a herald could walk safely into an enemy camp to negotiate.

In addition to being the wily protector god of thieves, Hermes became the protector of travellers, and represents the crossing of boundaries: the threshold, the marketplace, the crossroads. He moves between spaces, in the liminal... he is the energy of trade and commerce, speech and communication, transitions and altered states.

With a touch of his kerykeion, Hermes could induce sleep (Hypnos) and wakefulness in mortals, and in his role as Psychopompos ('escorter of souls') he used the kerykeion to cross the most rigid boundary in the cosmos: that between the world of the living, and the realm of death (Thanatos), where Hades and Persephone reigned.

The wings at the crown of the kerykeion were represented across Hermes' other accessories, from his winged sandals (talaria) to his winged traveller's hat (petasos), making him the embodiment of transience, and ultimate defier of boundaries, always on the move.

Mercurial Hermes was the only deity who could effortlessly mingle among gods on Mount Olympus, walk amongst men in a bustling city marketplace, and escort the souls of the dead into the dark depths of the Underworld. The wings are a reminder of his fluid energy - the freedom to cross any border, to adapt to any situation, and to move effortlessly between different worlds.

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 so grateful and so proud to have been working closely with the Semitekolo family foundry since 1999. It has been a privilege and a joy to handle, live with, and photograph these gorgeous pieces and to pass them on to customers all over the world.