About this lot

Description

A gold pendant necklace with fully modelled figure of Icarus in his glory, the naked body of the young man arched in soaring flight, arms outstretched and strapped to textured feathered wings, London hallmarks for 9ct gold 1980, with fixed two part ropetwist back chain also partially hallmarked; length of necklace 45cm, of pendant head to toe 5.6cm, wing tip to tip 8.5cm, weight 33.6g
According to Greek legend, Icarus was the son of Daedalus, who had designed for King Minos of Crete the labyrinth to contain the fierce Minotaur; but then falling out with the king had been imprisoned himself. As King Minos had absolute power over his land and the surrounding seas, Daedalus' only hope of escape was by air. He collected fallen feathers, and sticking them together with wax fashioned two pairs of wings, one for himself and the other for his young son Icarus. When they were ready, and found to work, Daedalus warned Icarus to stay close to him and not to fly too high for fear the sun would melt the wax; but having escaped Crete, the boy could not resist the thrill of soaring flight and did indeed fly too high. The wax softened, the wings fell to pieces, and the boy fell to his death in the sea below. The tragic tale was related by Ovid in 'Metamorphoses', and has inspired painters, sculptors and poets down the ages.

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