Museum Cufflinks Pegasus Vintage Cupid Mythical Winged Horse Collectors Designer Dante Incolay cameo Cuff link Accessory

Museum Cufflinks Pegasus Vintage Cupid Mythical Winged Horse Collectors Designer Dante Cuff Accessory. Pegasus is the mythical winged horse of the ancient Greeks. His story begins when Perseus, said to be the son of Zeus, is sent to kill Medusa by a man who wanted to marry his mother but did not want the burden of the son. Medusa was one of the three Gorgons who live on a little island They were winged creatures with writhing snakes in place of hair and golden scales. And they are three, the Gorgons, each with wings And snaky hair, most horrible to mortals. Whom no man shall behold and draw again The breath of life, Anyone who was so unfortunate as to gaze upon her face would be turned to stone. Out of the three only Medusa could be killed for the others were immortal. Hermes and Athena came to aid Perseus. Their gifts, which permitted him to kill the Gorgon, were of a magical sword which would not break upon the Gorgon's scales, a polished shield of bronze which could function as a mirror and a pair of winged sandals. While Medusa slept he crept up to her backwards, using the shield to see behind him. This was so he did not have to look upon her, which would most surely turn him to stone at first sight. When he was close enough, he used the sword to behead her, Athena guiding the blow. He then placed the helmet of invisibility upon his head to escape the wrath of Medusa's sisters. From the blood which gushed forth from the severed neck, Pegasus was born. During this time, Queen Cassiopeia had compared her beauty and that of her daughter, Andromeda, to that of the sea-nymphs of the Mediterranean, the Nereids. In their anger they asked Poseidon, the god of the oceans, the punish her. He created great storms against the land of Ethiopia, and much flooding occurred. Poseidon also sent the sea dragon Borea (or Cetus) to slaughter the people on the coasts of the country. The Ethiopians, who were very afraid, asked for help from the oracle of Ammon. They were told to sacrifice Andromeda to the dragon. Perseus heard of Andromeda's sacrifice and mounted Pegasus in the hopes of saving her. He arrived at the coast where Andromeda was chained to a rock just as the dragon appeared. He displayed Medusa's head, which he had till then carried in a bag, to the dragon, thus turning the creature to stone. Then using the magic sword, killed the dragon and freed Andromeda. They were married and there was much rejoicing in the land. Thus in the sky one can find the constellation of Pegasus with that of Andromeda and Perseus nearby. Minerva (or Athena) carried the young Pegasus to Mount Helicon where he was entrusted to the care of the Muses. When his hoof had struck the ground, the spring Hippocrene welled up and began to flow. This spring became sacred for the nine muses. Another hero, Bellerophon, longed to capture Pegasus, but could not fathom how one could tame such a wild and magnificent creature. A wise man advised Bellerophon to sleep in the temple of Athena. There he saw the goddess before him holding a golden bridle in her hand. When he awoke he was alone but the bridle remained. He ran forth from the temple and found Pegasus drinking at the Corinthian spring, Pirene. Once Pegasus spotted the shine of the gold, Bellerophon put the charmed bridle on the noble steed's head with little difficulty. The bridle in place, Pegasus became gentle and tame. Thus Bellerophon became master of the winged horse. While the guest of King Proetus, Bellerophon attracted the attention his host's wife, Anteia. She had fallen in love with him, and when he would not return her feelings, she told her husband that he had wronged her and therefore must pay with his life. As Proetus did not wish to break the bond between host and guest and suffer the wrath of Zeus, Proetus asked Bellerophon to deliver a letter to the King of Lycia. There the king welcomed him and entertained him for nine days before reading the letter, which contained the message that Bellerophon should be killed. Also not wanting to break the trust between guest and host, he sent Bellerophon to destroy the Chimera, who was said to be undefeatable. The Chimera was described as a monster with a lion's head, a serpent's tail with a and a goat's body, or possibly a creature with three heads, one of each animal. It was said to have been born from a volcano on whose slopes lived these animals. For not only was it a fearsome creature as is, but it could breath flame upon its victims. By night it would ravage the kingdom of Lycia, killing the villagers. Bellerophon agreed to his mission and went to slay the creature. Astride his noble steed he could fly above the monster's flaming breath and deadly claws. He fired arrows at the monster, then timing it right, he waited for the creature to open its mouth to release more flame. He held in his hand a spear with a piece of lead attached to the point. Just as the creature prepare to flame, Bellerophon threw the lance down the monsters throat. In the fiery heat of it belly, the lead melted and killed the creature from the inside. Bellerophon then returned to Proetus, and after several quests over many years, the king conceded and allowed Bellerophon to marry his daughter. He lived happily for a while but his ambition and success made him think of greater things, things which a man should not think. Bellerophon wanted to ride to the top of Mount Olympus to take his place there with the gods. Some say that Pegasus was wiser and threw his rider of his own will or that Zeus became displeased and sent an insect to sting Pegasus who then bucked and dislodged his rider. Bellerophon then either fell to his death, or wandered the earth blind , "devouring his own soul and avoiding the paths of men". Pegasus continued towards the peak where he became the servant of of the gods. There he was the mount of Eos to help bring the dawn, or was ridden by Apollo to bring the sun. Pegasus also served Zeus by bringing to him the thunder and lightning needed for the thunderbolts. For all his noble services, Pegasus was honoured by a constellation in the autumn sky. A perfect addition to a collection or a gift to that special someone. ∆ Maker: Dante The Museum Masterpiece collection of men's jewelry reaches across two thousand years to recreate the ancient art of cameo carving. These are authentic Incolay stones - exact reproductions of original carvings in our Masterpiece Collection selected from the museums of the Mediterranean where Greek and Roman artisans flourished from 400 B.C. to 300 A.D.. The first cameos, carved only for the well-to-do, depicted gods and goddesses of Greek mythology. It took many years and the fall of Greece to the Romans before cameo portraits became a realistic form of art in great demand. Cameo carving attained its greatest popularity during the reign of Augustus Caesar with engravers using multiple layers of colored onyx to carve elaborate protrayals of heroic scenes, rulers, gods and historical events. The fine, detailed carving of ancient cameos was an art virtually forgotten until the Incolay process was developed. The Incolay stone is a combination of minerals and chemicals and the result of many years of of research and development. Unlike ancient onyx cameos, it will not chip or crack and can be cleaned with any jewelry compound. The Incolay stone re-creates the priceless cameos now housed in museums throughout the world. Each carving will bring a lifetime of enjoyment for collections and recollections ∆ Material: Cameo, Gold plated metal ∆ Size: see photo ∆ Weight: Heavy ∆ Condition: In good vintage pre-owned condition. ∆ Lovely patina! Boxed for gift giving; gift wrapped on request. These are part of a MASSIVE estate collection of cufflinks and jewelry so be sure to check out our other items here: https://www.etsy.com/shop/NeatstuffAntiques?section_id=all We don’t polish these previously owned well loved pieces so we can keep the original patina. We try and photograph all of the pieces next to a ruler so you can see the actual size. All jewelry sold as found. NOTE TO BUYER: We Do not offer engraving services of any sorts as we are not equipped to do so I’m sure your local jeweler would be happy to do so, sorry for any inconvenience thank you. All cufflinks ( unless otherwise specified) are considered costume jewelry. We use the descriptions of any stones from the manufacturers titles when they were first produced. When we refer to the stones as moonstone or jade or garnet, for example, we are using how the original manufacturer of the pieces used them. We cannot guarantee the authenticity of a stone in a costume piece of jewelry. ***ATTENTION!*** Shipping rates for domestic and international delivery have skyrocketed! I have adjusted the shipping rates accordingly. If you wish to have another method of delivery (i.e. First Class International) PLEASE convo me before placing your order. My goal is to save both of us money on shipping. June 18, 2014