Κληρονομιά

A beautiful pair of cufflinks with the wisdom owl.
Made in 925⁰ sterling silver
Handmade item.

Goddess Athena and Owl – Athenian silver tetradrachm
Dracma was the currency used in Greece during several periods in its history. The tetradrachm was an Ancient Greek silver coin equivalent to fourdrachmae in Athens it replaced the earlier “heraldic” type of didrachms and it was in wide circulation from ca. 510 to ca. 38 BC. This coin belongs to the so-called “new style Athenian coins” minted between 166 and 64 B.C. and is considered one of the most popular ancient Greek coins which illustrate the portrait of Goddess Athena on the one side and the wisdom owl on the other. Athena is an ancient Greek goddess associated with wisdom, handicraft, and warfare. Athena was regarded as the patron and protectress of various cities across Greece, particularly the city of Athens, from which she most likely received her name. She’s usually shown in art wearing a helmet and holding a spear. Her major symbols include owls, olive trees, and snakes. Her temples were located atop the fortified Acropolis in the central part of the city. The Parthenon on the Athenian Acropolis is dedicated to her, along with numerous other temples and monuments. Her main festival in Athens was the Panathenaia, which was celebrated in midsummer and was the most important festival on the Athenian calendar. In the classical Olympian pantheon, Athena was regarded as the favorite daughter of Zeus. The owl traditionally accompanies Athena. Because of such association, the owl has been used as a symbol of knowledge and wisdom. The inscriptions contain the city’s “national” appellation (“ΑΘΕ», i.e. “of the Athenians”).