Head of Hygeia at the Réunion des Musées Nationaux, Paris

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In ancient Greek mythology, Hygieia was born as the daughter of Asclepius, the god of medicine, and Epione. She embodied the goddess/personification of health, cleanliness, and hygiene. Hygieia and her five sisters - Panacea, Iaso, Aceso, Aglæa/Ægle, and herself, all performed a distinct aspect of Apollo's art: Hygieia focused on hygiene, Panacea was the goddess of universal remedy, Iaso represented recuperation from illness, Aceso managed the healing process, and Aglæa/Ægle embodied beauty, splendor, glory, magnificence, and adornment. Asclepius' cult played a significant role in Hygieia's life, although her father was directly associated with healing, she focused on preventing sickness and maintaining good health. Her name gave birth to the word "hygiene". The Romans later introduced her as Valetudo, the goddess of personal health, but eventually identified her with Salus, the ancient Italian goddess of social welfare. This object is part of "Scan The World", a non-profit initiative launched by MyMiniFactory that aims to create a digital archive of fully 3D printable sculptures, artworks, and landmarks from across the globe for public access. Scan The World is an open-source community effort, where anyone can contribute interesting items around them by emailing stw@myminifactory.com to learn how they can help.