Georgian Pan Stick Pin
The Great God Pan; the Piper at the Gates of Dawn...
- Ancient Greek god of the wild
- Half-man, half-goat
- Son of Hermes and a daughter of Dryops; rejected by his mother for being half goat
- Adored by ALL of the Olympian gods (but particularly Dionysus)
- Considerable sexual energy
- Challenged Apollo to a musical duel (and lost)
- Known to create panic among humans
- Could be multiplied into a swarm of Pans
- The only Greek god who actually dies
Pan is the ancient Greek god of shepherds and hunters, of the meadows and forests and mountain wildernesses, of the rustic and the pastoral, and of all the wildness of nature. The son of Hermes and a daughter of Dryops*, this pastoral deity is half-human, half-goat, with curled horns and pointed ears. Pan remains immortalised to this day in our word panic - literally, 'pertaining to Pan', because was thought to make “mysterious sounds that caused contagious, groundless fear in herds and crowds, or in people in lonely spots"... fear that may, of course, lead to pandemonium. The Greek word pan means 'all' or 'every'; when Hermes presented his son to the other Olympians, the utter delight was shared by each and every one. They loved the little goat-hoofed creature.
Interest in Pan saw a resurgence among liberal scholars of the late 1700s, becoming "the symbol of the romantic imagination" according to Keats, and a representation of creation expressed through sexuality, as discussed in Richard Payne Knight's Discourse on the Worship of Priapus (1786):
"Pan is represented pouring water upon the organ of generation; that is, invigorating the active creative power by the prolific element."
This remarkable Georgian stick pin dates to this very period, circa 1800, and features the head of Pan carved from a single piece of banded agate hardstone. The artistry is exceptional, using the natural colour variance in the stone to stunning effect: the hair and horns carved from a darker band, and the face from a milky-white chalcedony section with a hint of colour in this goatee. He wears an ivy crown - a nod to Dionysus - and a calm expression of deep, ancient knowledge.
*the sources don't agree on his parentage: Herodotus says Penelope was his mother and some state Pan to be a son of Zeus
Era: Georgian, circa 1800
Head size: 20.3mm by 13.0mm
Pin length: 7.0cm
Stone: Hardstone Agate
Marks: None, tested as 18ct gold (pin is 9ct)
Condition: Great antique condition
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Gemstones are tested by an accredited gemmologist (Cert GA, Gemmological Association of Great Britain)
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Condition
We offer detailed and accurate condition reports on each listing. These pieces are antique, vintage, or pre-loved, often over 100 years old so they're going to have lived a life. A healthy patina and the odd scuff/scrape are quite normal... it's part of their charm! Everything we present has been checked over by our jeweller and should be good for wear for many years to come (unless otherwise stated) but please remember to treat them with appropriate care and consideration for their age.
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