The Hades and Persephone Kylix: A Story of Marriage and Power
Styx and Bones, Hades and Persephone Kylix Replica, 2026.
The Love of Hades and Persephone
The Hades and Persephone Kylix is a beautifully preserved piece from Ancient Greece that depicts two of our favorite gods in greek mythology - we’re (of course) Persephone girlies! I mean… a goddess with one of the largest mystery cults? Sign us up.
Persephone and Hades are fascinating in both the ancient and modern world because of their story. A story of a young maiden being taken to marry her uncle, all approved by her dad - Zeus! Persephone’s story captures the hearts of many because of her transition of being a maiden to a queen and is (arguably) one of the most powerful goddesses in Ancient Greek Religion. We don’t have much mythology or artwork around Hades and Persephone together, but when we do - we swoon over it. Let’s dive into this beautiful Kylix from ancient Greece - what does this scene of Hades and Persephone tell us? And, perhaps, we’ll get a mythical glimpse into their marriage.
What is a Kylix, Anyway?
A Kylix is a popular style of cup from Ancient Greece in which people would drink wine out of. The cup has handles and has a bowl attached to it for drinking purposes. Typically an image of the gods, heroes, or a scene from Greek mythology would be painted into the center of it.
This piece would be used to serve at parties, alongside of another piece of Greek pottery, a Krater. The person drinking out of the Kylix would consume the wine so the image within would slowly be revealed to you!
The Scene of Hades and Persephone, A Glimpse into Their Marriage?
In this Kylix, we see a rare scene of Persephone and Hades sitting together banquetting on a couch. Hades is adorned in a wreath around his head showcasing his status alongside of his other garments, while we see Persephone sitting across from her husband with an unknown object in her hand.
What’s most interesting about this piece is that we are seeing reciprocity. Many theorize that this scene showcases the almost equal like nature of power in their marriage and relationship. We have seen this power promised to Persephone through the vow from Hades in the Hymn to Demeter. If you haven’t read the Hymn to Demeter by Homer - we highly recommend!
That’s not to say Persephone is truly an equal, but because they sit along the same couch and bench line, it’s Hades honoring reciprocity and the power of his wife. He also extends a fluted phiale to Persephone - which is a symbol of him offering her a drink. This is not something we see often between King and Queen in Greek mythology or even in artwork.
What makes this even more special, is that we’re seeing this with Hades and Persephone. We don’t have much mythically about them or their marriage, like we would Zeus and Hera, so this scene really showcases the nature into their marriage and myth.
Piece Details:
Artist: The Codrus Painter
Date: 430BC
Location of the Find: Europe: Italy: Lazio: Viterbo (province): Vulci
Museum: The British Museum
Image courtesy of the British Museum
The Hades and Persephone Kylix, 430 BC. © The Trustees of the British Museum.
Styx and Bones Hades and Persephone Kylix (2026)
Styx and Bones Replica - Made in Greece
Our store is dedicated to the preservation of Ancient Greek and Roman history as we enter into a time where AI, social media misinformation and hallucinations of what actually occured historically is prevelant now more than ever before.
It’s important to us that we bring in high quality replicas for our customers. This replica is handmade and handpainted in Greece by Greek artisans. We loved this so much because each piece is uniquely different considering the custom nature - no two pieces will ever look alike, which we find to be so special.
Curator Notes:
As the two curators of our shop, each piece we bring in has a different meaning to both of us and we love to share what these pieces mean to us. We don’t just bring pieces in to sell, we only bring in pieces we truly connect with (aside from quality and accuracy).
We love this piece because of how it shows the roles both Hades and Persephone play within their marriage and the power between them. Sitting together as King and Queen of the Underworld - it’s not something we get to see often as we stated in this blog. It’s the human connection that we’re able to make with the ancient peoples who created this Kylix and the Gods and their myths.
We do have to add… it does look amazing in our home offices. Adding a Kylix to a shelf or bookshelf in general - really elevates our space as two gals who collect so many statues, hoard books, and own many replicas from the ancient world.
We hope you enjoy this piece as much as we do!
Add the Hades and Persphone Kylix to Your Home!
Pre-Order Information (Limited)
This kylix is available exclusively through a limited pre-order with Styx and Bones. Each piece is custom made in Greece by Greek artisans from a small owned workshop dedicated to preserving statuary from antiquity and is hand painted (which takes time and effort to make!).
We open pre-orders for 14 business days only. Once the pre-order window closes, we submit our final order and your statue will be individually handcrafted just for you. Please allow up to 2 months for production and international shipment from Greece to our store. This timeline reflects the care and artistry, that goes into each piece.
Because every piece is made to order, you are not purchasing mass-produced inventory, you are getting a piece that’s handmade for you. If you have any questions at anytime about your pre-order please contact us at styxandbones.cmc@gmail.com, if there are any delays or issues with order and shipping we will contact you.
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A beautiful kylix that is a reproduction of one of Hades and Persephone from the ancient world. This features the goddess and her husband together, Hades raising a plate to his wife symbolizing their marriage together.
Bring the ancient art of the King and Queen of the underworld into your home!
Dimensions:
Height: 3.5 inches
(With handles): 10.6in
