Impression Die Dancing Maenad

This impression die is a depiction of the famous Venus de Milo statue from the 2nd century BCE, during the Hellenistic period of Greece. Despite the fact that the statue's creator and original intention are unknown, the statue has been considered a symbol of beauty since it's discovery in 1820 and is arguably the most famous ancient Greek statue in the world.

This small relief design depicts the birth of Aphrodite in the sea. She lounges on a seashell atop the ocean surrounded by stylized dolphins, and she reaches for a cherub. Hesiod's "Theogony" describes the birth of Aphrodite in such a way off the coast of Cythera. Italian painter Sandro Botticelli painted "The Birth of Venus," which depicted a similar scene.