Medusa Incense Burner ~ Backflow

DescriptionIn Greek mythology Medusa was one of the three Gorgons. Generally described as a woman with living snakes for hair, it was said her appearance was so hideous that anyone who saw her turned to stone. She was beheaded by Perseus who then used her severed head as a weapon.While ancient Greek vase-painters and relief carvers imagined Medusa as having a monstrous form, sculptors and vase-painters in fifth century BC began to envision her as being beautiful as well as terrifying. In an ode written in 490 BC, Pindar already speaks of “fair-cheeked Medusa”. Ancient depictions of Medusa as a beautiful maiden instead of a horrid monster predate Ovid. In classical Greek art, the depictions of her shifted from hideous beast to an attractive young woman, both aggressor and victim, a tragic figure in her death.Her story has also been interpreted as a classic case of rape-victim blaming by the goddess Athena. Inspired by the #metoo movement. Feminist theorist Hélène Cixous famously tackled the myth in her essay “The Laugh of the Medusa.” She argues that men’s retelling of the narrative turned Medusa into a monster because they feared female desire.This Medusa incense burner can be used with backflow or regular incense cones.7.13″ x 5.2″ x 5.59″Cold cast resin