Calm and serene as befits a goddess of healing,
Hygiea casts her benevolent gaze upon the
world. This sensitive work is almost certainly
based on a larger prototype, perhaps the cult
statue of Hygiea that stood at the sanctuary of
her mythological father, Asklepios, god of
medicine, on the island of Kos. Draped in flowing
robes, she holds the sacred serpent of Asklepios,
one of the pair that entwined around the
physician's caduceus. In the classical age, this
exquisite bronze has not dimmed her healing
magic. In her presence, we feel renewed and at
peace.
- (FZ.219)
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