Myths and Legends

The Myths and Legends that inspired Cassandra

Polyphemus- Cyclops Giant

"The 'Isole dei Ciclopi" off the coast of atania, Sicily are rugged rocks so named after the infamous Cyclops who roamed the area in Homer's Odyssey. Polyphemus was tricked by the wily adventurer Odysseus who avoided capture by blinding the beast and escaping under the bellies of the sheep he tended. I named the Polyphemus necklace after these islands as the baroque pearls reminded me of the huge rocks that the Cyclops threw after the Odysseus into the sea."

Palici

Sicilian Daemons

"These double pearl earrings are inspired by the Palici, who descended from the original Sicilians of around 750BC, and were daemons, twin sons of Zeus and tthe nymph Thaleia, worshipped by small sulphurous lakes near Mount Aetna."

Persephone

Goddess of the Underworld

"Snatched from the fields of Enna and into the underworld Persephone gave into temptation and ate a few delicious, jewel like pomegranate seeds. Thus she was condemned to spend half the year in the underworld- these sad months would be winter and autumn, and her months on earth would be summer and spring. I reimagined these jewel like pomegranate seeds as beads of coral, lapis and turquoise for this design."

Teste di Moro

A Palermo Legend

"My Quattro Canti Teste di Moro pendant is inspired by the Sicilian 'Romeo and Juliet' tale of a young girl from the Kalso district. A roaming Moorish merchant fell in love with the girl as he watched her tend to her plants. Unfortunately, the Moor had a wife and child back at home and was planning to return but before he could the girl decided his head would look beautiful on her balcony and made a ather useful basil pot!"

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