Although Mercury was not amongst the earliest of Roman gods, he eventually became one of the most popular. He evolved from the Greek deity, Hermes, and served as the mischievous, fleet-of-foot messenger of the gods. He is the god of luck, commerce, travel, and merchants. He also was amongst the few gods who was allowed to cross into the Underworld and back. Thus, he often accompanied and guided souls to the afterlife. Mercury enjoyed an impeccable ancestry; his father was Jupiter, the king of the gods, and his mother was Maia, the daughter of Atlas.
Mercury is usually shown wearing winged sandals (talaria) and/or a winged helmet (petasos), fashioned for him by Vulcan, the god of fire. These wings have become attributes of Mercury's ability to fly swiftly. In his Roman incarnation (that is, as Mercury), he was most often shown as a beardless youth. However, in his earlier Greek depictions (as Hermes), he was shown both as a youth and as an older, mustached (or bearded) character.
Wednesday is named in honor of Mercury: mercurii (Latin), Mercredi (French), miércoles (Spanish) or Mercoledì (Italian). And 15 May is celebrated as Mercuralia—a celebration of Mercury and the commercial success merchants hope he will bring.
The ambitiously hand-carved oak corbel shelf, shown above, probably was sculpted in England (if not France or Belgium) during the Gothic Revival period, circa 1860's - 1880's. I also must confess that I have asked myself: Is the face depicting Mercury or Thor?
For millennia, Western art has favored the youthful, clean-shaven depiction of Mercury—which we have become accustomed to seeing. But earlier, Greek versions also remain—depicting Mercury (Hermes) as a mature man with facial hair. Therefore, portraying Mercury with a Viking mustache is not innovative (though it's less common).
Thor, on the other hand, traditionally had not been depicted as wearing a winged helmet until the late Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries. In Wagner's popular Ring Cycle operas (of Norse mythology), winged (or horned) helmets became de rigueur. And, during the Comic Book Era of the Twentieth Century, illustrators endowed Thor's helmet with the dramatic, feathered appendages.
Click on one of the photos, above, to learn more about this handsome and impressive piece.
Though our Greenwich Village store is now permanently closed, LEO Design is still alive and well! Please visit our on-line store where we continue to sell Handsome Gifts (www.LEOdesignNYC.com).
To arrange a visit our Pittsburgh showroom (by private appointment only), please call 917-446-4248.