1959 Pisces Charm

1959 Pisces CharmOne of the earliest zodiac signs on record, the twin fish emblem has been found on a c. 2300BC Egyptian coffin lid. According to one Greek myth, Pisces represents the fish (sometimes represented by a shark) into which Aphrodite and her son, Eros, transformed in order to escape the monster Typhon. A vintage gold charm dating from the 1950s English hallmarks date it to 1959, Birmingham. The fishes, together, form a double ouroboros, seeming to chase

set over foil to enhance its colour - a wonderful technique that makes it appear to glow from within

snapped in half

The first generation of tin cans were so thick that they had to be hammered open

the artist expertly utilising the white band of the bull's mouth shell over an orange-brown background

With their characteristic cut-out front and the hop-on-hop-off door at the back

Marks: Jump ring stamped 9ct

The stone remains uncarved and

with clear London hallmarks from the year 1828

In that regard [Robert] Graves proposed the only Greek derivation available: Perseus might be from the Greek verb pérthein (πέρθειν) "to waste

The carving depicts the Egyptian god Osiris

others engraved into the band which is hollowed out and home to a finely woven lock of hair

Its construction suggests that it may have been made as a votive offering rather than a piece for personal wear