Calm and serene as befits a goddess of healing, Hygiea casts her benevolent gaze upon the world. This sensitive work is almost certainly based on a larger prototype, perhaps the cult statue of Hygiea that stood at the sanctuary of her mythological father, Asklepios, god of medicine, on the island of Kos. Draped in flowing robes, she holds the sacred serpent of Asklepios, one of the pair that entwined around the physician's caduceus. In the classical age, this exquisite bronze has not dimmed her healing magic. In her presence, we feel renewed and at peace.