Minotaur

The most familiar story involving the Minotaur is the one of his demise. He is thought of as a bloodthirsty savage with an insatiable appetite for young human flesh. For this reason, his stepfather -King Minos- confines him into the labyrinth. But upon learning more about his origin, the story becomes more nuanced and his identity tends to shift towards that of a victim of circumstance.

 It all starts with a white bull sent as a favourable sign from Poseidon to King Minos. The bull was to be sacrificed in his honour but Minos failed to fulfil the task due to the creature’s rare beauty. Poseidon was infuriated and for this reason caused Minos' wife -Pasiphae- to fall in love with the bull. She was overcome by unendurable lust and immediately commissioned Deadalus to construct a hollow cow in order to mate with the snow-white bull.

 Baby Minotaur emerged out of this disturbing union. When his growth proved monstrous and existence problematic –since humans were at the base of his food pyramid- Deadalus was once more employed. This time his task was to construct a maze and imprison the unfortunate beast. And this is how the Minotaur ends up in the labyrinth, where he eventually finds his death. Minos’ defiance towards Poseidon results in the creation of this unloved, tragic but cool-looking brute.

Height: 41cm
Diameter: 31cm (widest)