Psyche

myminifactory

This sculpture portrays Psyche, the goddess of the soul and wife of Eros, the god of love. She was once a mortal princess whose stunning beauty incited the wrath of Aphrodite, the Roman Venus, when men began worshiping her instead of the goddess. Aphrodite ordered Eros to make Psyche fall in love with the most repulsive man alive, but the god fell deeply in love with her and took her away to his secret palace. Eros concealed his true identity and instructed Psyche never to gaze upon his face. Her jealous sisters, however, deceived her into disobeying and the enraged god abandoned her. Psyche searched far and wide for her lost love until she eventually entered the service of Aphrodite. The goddess demanded that she complete a series of seemingly impossible tasks, culminating in a perilous journey to the Underworld. After this ordeal, Psyche was reunited with Eros, and the couple were married in a grand ceremony attended by all the gods. In ancient mosaic art, Psyche is often depicted as a woman with butterfly wings, accompanied by her husband Eros. Sometimes, a pair of Psykhai are shown together, representing their daughter Hedone, the goddess of pleasure.