Impression Die Athena of the Arts Medallion

This medallion depicts the Greek goddess Athena in a more domestic setting, highlighting her role as the goddess of the arts and strategy. She sits on a throne beneath an olive tree and holds an olive branch. She is unarmored except for her characteristic helm. At her feet are symbols of the arts: a lyre, a painter's palette and brush, a mallet or hammer, and a compass (the drawing tool). In the distance is the city which takes her name, Athens. This medallion was probably a mid-19th century award medal from the École Polytechnique, an engineering school. Hub comes from Paris, France.